The Secret Book of Armin
by Fleurhana Ybel
Summary: After Eren's transformation, Armin begins to experience dreams he never had before. He soon realizes, however, that those dreams are connected to the past… a past hidden from the world… a past that soon haunts him and Eren. Will Armin discover the truth before a grave secret destroys what's left of humanity? Armin-centric.
1. First Tale: Ysmir

**Warning**: Increasing rating.

* * *

**The First Tale: **_**Ysmir**_

* * *

_"According to the story of the long lost past, there is a Titan named Ysmir who lives to last. He is a friend to all, one that everyone could call. Ysmir is a Titan, yet he is not to frighten. They say that Ysmir loves everything for only kindness he could bring. Ysmir is the people's protector, he who guides the humans with his strong endeavor…_

_ "But the stories which we come to hear don't always end for us to endear. Like the tale of the Titan we know as Ysmir, sometimes what we see would be what we fear…_

_ "Long ago when humans have lived in peace, during the time when they do as they please, comes the horror that provide them lease. A human has stolen what Ysmir glances as precious and took it faraway to misuse. Ysmir is saddened of what happened, Ysmir is angry for he is offended. He has loved them, but they are only to condemn…_

_ "Thus starts the war that would destroy the people – a war where humans are forced to pay the toll. By Ysmir all the titans rose and marched against the kingdoms with all the danger they pose. And—"_

**. . . . . . . . .**

"What are you reading?"

A small and curious voice pulled Little Armin away from the book. Little Armin had been too engrossed with the story he selected to read and didn't even notice that someone had already sneaked up on him. With a soft whimper, the young boy shrunk and huddled the book closer to his chest, looking at the other one with slight suspicion and fear. _T-They musn't know_… Little Armin spoke in thought, while his eyes started to dart around, seemingly trying to look for an escape route.

"Hey," the other boy spoke up. "Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?" He asked. He started to approach Armin.

_ Crying? _Little Armin first noted. He then placed his stubby fingers over his face and quickly felt the wetness all over his cheeks. He was so terrified that he hadn't even noticed that he was already crying. He stood up from the ground, where he sat when he immersed himself with the book, and slowly started to back away, as he felt terrified when the other boy started to move. _Please, go away…_ He pleaded, but only spoke to them in his head. _You must not know_… _I don't want to go to prison_… Armin continued to step back, until he tripped himself against someone behind him.

He fell down, both due to surprise and suddenly losing his balance, with the book hard-bounded in dry leather flying away from him and landing just in front of the other boy. Little Armin's attention were quick to go for the book, yet his eyes even brimmed more tears after he saw the other one picked it up. Sprawled down on the ground, Little Armin tried to reach up to the other boy. "P-Please…" He stammered. "Please give me back my book." He told him. Little Armin's eyes were glazed with tears as the other one stared curiously at the book.

"_Whoah_!" The other boy gasped as he saw one particular symbol etched in the center of the book. "Look! Look! It's _the _book!" He said excitedly, as he flashed the side where the insignia was placed to Little Armin and to the person who stood behind him. "Why do you hafta—"

"Please, don't!" Little Armin tried his best to stand up and then tackled the other boy, pinning him under his weight. At the same time, Little Armin placed his hands and used it to cover the other boy's mouth, quickly muffling his words out. "I know we can't read this yet! But I wanna read! They told us that we never need to read this, but I want to read even though I don't _want_ to!" Little Armin said in defense, still resting over the other boy and covering his mouth at the same time. "So please—"

Little Armin felt some hands that slithered under his arm. In a swift movement, the same hands suddenly tore him away from the other boy, releasing the latter from his light weight. Armin was thrown back against the soft lawn and only looked at the person who did it to him.

"Are you all right?" Little Armin soon discovered that the other person was also another child. Armin couldn't agree more that the child was a _girl_, judging by her long locks of black that reached past her shoulders and her girly yet monotone voice. Armin observed as the girl helped the other boy and felt frightened when she looked at him with a narrowed expression, which was too serious for a kid of their age. Once again, the warm damp sensation coursed through Little Armin's face as tears blemished his skin, too terrified to speak, too afraid to move an inch.

"Hey, don't scare him." The other boy chided the girl. "I'm just okay." He quickly stated, instantly placating his female companion. He immediately picked up the book that fell from his grasp after Little Armin shoved him seconds ago. He stepped near Armin once more and held the book back to him. "Here," the boy said. "I don't mean to scare you. I'm just really surprised that you're reading _that _book." He said and grinned back at Armin. "I won't tell the guards, I promise!" He told the little blond boy.

Armin looked at him first, silently remarking the other boy. Perhaps every child of their age knew that there were books that they were allowed to read and there were books that they _weren't_ allowed to. But that had been the exact reason why Armin took it. He was a curious child, even though he was already contented in living behind the walls of Maria. Why did the adults tell them not to read it in the first place? If it wasn't meant for reading, why was it a book in the first place? These were some of the questions that Little Armin wanted some answers to.

"I just want to learn…" Armin spoke softly at first. "I just want to discover the things around me. I just want to know what's beyond my knowledge." He didn't know, but he felt that he could speak freely towards the boy that stood tall in front of him. He didn't even realize that he was already speaking continuously. "I want to discover what's beyond this wall, beyond the _titans_ that try to eat us. I want to go out of this wall and—" At that time he finally noticed that he just unconsciously blurted out one of his dreams. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"So you want to know what the outside world looks too!" The other boy said animatedly. He knelt down in front of Armin that time. "I want to go out there too!" He shared to Armin. The boy twisted and looked at the girl. "Come 'ere!" He called her excitedly. "I haven't met someone else who likes to discover what are beyond these walls as well." When the girl finally reached the two of them, the boy quickly shot a question back to Armin.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"I-I'm Armin," he answered.

"Her name is _Mikasa_," the boy introduced her. The girl only nodded back to Armin in regard, as he did the same. "My name is _Eren_," the boy finally identified himself, putting his thumb against his chest. "Ahh! I'm so excited to find a _friend_ who likes to know the same!" Eren muttered happily, flicking his eyes back and forth to both Mikasa and Armin. "Hey, you want to be friends with us, right? If that's okay with you," Eren added, looking a little shy after he said so. However, it did not stop him to reach out and offer his hand to Armin, as a sign of his happiness and that of his friendship.

Slowly, Armin extended his hand and clasped—

* * *

—it with Eren's, lacing his fingers with his friend's.

His eyes threatening to spill the tears that already brimmed over his lids, Armin watched as Mikasa hugged Eren tightly, wailing out all the grief and sadness that overcame her earlier. Armin felt the same, to the same degree as Mikasa's. In fact, that he had already decided to _throw_ his life away in that instant when he saw his friend swallowed by that titan. It had been a real shock to him, when his friend vanished into the mouth of their enemy. Armin was devastated, to the point that he had deemed his life as worthless as it was now.

Mikasa continued to cry beside him, and Armin would have done the same if he had the strength to do so. But he felt so weak and powerless at that time. He was blanketed by different feelings; different emotions fighting inside his heart and mind. Just seeing Eren alive and well made his heart swell in joy, but at the same time an inexplicable amount of hate and anger was spewed out by his chest. He was glad for Eren, but he hated _himself_. He was happy that his friend had survived, but he was angry at himself.

After all, the entire nightmare that happened during that very day when Trost was assailed by the colossal titan was partly his doing. If he had just done something for his squad, just when he knew that they were already fighting a losing battle, Armin would have prevented their demise. He would have stopped that moment when Eren tried to rescue him. He would have halted that point when Eren was bitten down towards that Titan's throat. Armin was solely responsible for the death of his squad. Armin was responsible why Eren had to feel all that pain. In the end, Armin was just powerless…

…like that time when he first met Eren.

But despite the sadness and the pain he and Mikasa felt right now, Armin knew that a greater question had started to rise inside him. For now, he would ignore the sin that caused his friend to suffer. As he held Eren's hand tightly with his own – as if he wasn't going to let go anymore – Armin observed the extremities he knew that were cut off from Eren's body. _The arm and legs that had been severed are right back_, he said in thought. He stared at Eren then, the same friend that saved him from the titan, the same person who sacrificed himself just for the sake of someone like Armin. "What the hell happened?" He asked. It was an empty question, but it conveyed his confusion and distraught.

But it was a definite scene of hope, a small glimmer of light lying deep against the shroud of darkness. The titans might have breached the wall, but Armin could not care enough. Just seeing that his friend was alive was enough for him to carry on and move on even for a little.

But like all the tales that were written, happiness was always short-lived. As the remainder of the trainee squad travelled back into the location the elite units were, a handful of the Stationary Guard blockaded their way. Armin thought that help was on its way, but after noticing the expression of wrath and anger and fear written all over the guards' faces, he couldn't help but think that things would end up into a deep spiral once more. As the Captain Felman, the leader of the small troop of the Stationary Guards, barked some orders towards Jean, and Jean refusing to yield to the order at first, Armin knew that there was something wrong in that instant. Jean could only look at the three of them in horror as he tried to resist, yet, in the end, the officer overpowered him. With a frustrated visage, Jean had asked the others – he included – to make their way past Trost and help in the evacuation that went underway. And when Mikasa and Armin tried to follow their classmates, all they received were bitter words from the Stationary Guard, which ultimately stopped them from moving on.

"What's the meaning of this?" Mikasa quickly asked, planting herself in front of Mikasa and Eren.

"We have witnesses stating that a p-person who should have no rights of existing right now is currently trying to escape," the Felman stated, his voice pitching up in few clicks. His eyes were wide and denoted his extreme fear and nervousness. "We have witnesses that will prove that Trainee Jaeger is a titan _spying _against all of humankind!" He said, as he raised an accusing finger against the still-unconscious Eren. The Stationary Guard had started to surround the trio, forcing the Mikasa and Armin against one of the walls corners.

"Trainee Jaeger is a _titan_!"

Armin bit his lips as he shifted Eren's weight against him. There was no doubt that many people had witnessed Eren coming out from the titan's body, as he and Mikasa did. But it was too presumptuous to think that it made Eren evil. Just because everyone had seen the titan as evil didn't mean that they had to associate Eren with them. Eren was his and Mikasa's friend – there was no way that their friend would succumb and threaten humankind. Eren had said himself that he would fight for humanity's survival; there was no way that Eren would want humankind to be eradicated and—

"_I'm gonna kill 'em dead_…"

Armin winced upon knowing that Eren had finally gained consciousness, for he was the one who was fully aware of those words that escaped from his friend's very lips. It was untimely, Eren's awakening, and Armin was worried that those insentient words would provoke the guards even more. But Armin could only hope for the best, which was why it was half-relieving that Eren had finally snapped out from his catalepsy. Putting his hands over Eren's shoulder, Armin quickly thrust himself in front of him and asked,

"Tell me everything! Talk to me! We're bound to figure out!"

And Armin was well aware of the blunt shock that quickly blanketed Eren's features. It was already noticeable that his friend was at loss at the suddenness of the event around him, and he was worried that the soldiers might think that Eren was actually losing it. He hoped that Eren was fully conscious now and even prayed that his friend would not go around and berserk. He was more fearful for Eren's life than to his own, now that he and Mikasa had barely just returned to Eren's side once again.

"Trainee Eren! You have come to your senses, I see!" The Captain Felman spoke aloud. "The behavior you three exhibit makes you look like traitors to humanity! Therefore I'm going to decide how we should dispose of your lives!" He said. "Try to pull any trick or to leave that spot and you'll be eating explosives!" He warned the three of them. "We'll shoot without hesitation!" But his voice already sounded that he was already to give in, that not for formality's sake he would have blown the trio into oblivion already. Armin only stared ahead as death loomed over them ever closer.

"What are you really? Human? Or Titan?"

Just who gave them the right to judge a person by _who _or _what _he was? Armin shot the guards an angry look. Perhaps Eren was indeed a titan, but what reason would be enough to give his friend a death sentence? Was it not about the value of what he did? Was it not about the lives that Eren had saved? Armin knew that they quickly gave in with the fear that rested inside their hearts, the fear that was fueled by the titans themselves. Perhaps Eren was seen to have come out from a titan's body, but was it truly enough to point at him as a _monster_?

All the books had told him the variations of human nature. Armin was sickened that a person was always quick to judge. Conformity told one individual to make a decision, fear always lead them to judge wrongly. Every individual had the tendency to push away what they couldn't understand, and it extended not just to ideas but to other people as well. It was human nature to put blame on someone based solely on what they saw, and fear fueled their erratic judgment. When they knew that a person was not like them, when they knew that a person was different from them, it was so easy for them to point an accusing finger and shove them away for good. People hated those they didn't know. Humanity hated what it couldn't grasp.

"I-I fail to understand the meaning of your question, sir!" Eren yelled back in reply.

"Are you playing dumb with me, you goddamned freak?!" It sparked the flame of wrath around the captain. "Come on, just try again! We'll _fucking_ dust you on the spot! You won't even have the time to assume your true form!" And he went on, venting his anger over his apparent fear. But Armin was just so struck that his friend was the one who had to take the toll of humanity's hypocrisy; that Eren was to receive the error of human nature's ignorance. He could only look back at Eren, feeling so useless and weak once more. He even couldn't help him right now, just when he understood why the Stationary Guard was picking up on him. He didn't have the strength like Mikasa to fight them; he only had his damn worthless brain to begin with.

Such was the fate of an individual eyed down by humanity's ignorance. When it came to understanding another person, humankind tended to fail in accepting one. Conformity dictated acceptance, and rejection would only come to those who would be found different. People despised when they couldn't understand and only even push those who tried to explain them things. Humanity was ignorance clothing itself with more ignorance; a perfect example of the thought of self-importance. And Eren was going to the end of it. Just because everyone feared the titans, Eren was going to die just like how people wanted the titans to die.

But Mikasa trying to challenge everyone was Armin's breaking point. No matter how he knew how skillful she was, Armin was all too-worried for her. It didn't matter if the guards had to wound the three of them, but Armin would not want his friends to die in vain. If he had to swallow his ego just to earn their forgiveness, Armin would swallow the whole lot. "We can talk this over!" Armin pleaded to Mikasa. "Anyone would get scared out of their wits when faced with a situation that they don't understand!" He reasoned to her, just like how it all went inside his head.

But perhaps the final straw was Eren himself…

"I'm _human_." He said in a strong voice… only for the three of them to realize that everyone else had already deemed him to _die_.

As the officer gave the signal to attack, Armin's thoughts were already completely clouded.

_Are you human? Or Titan?_

_ Human? Or Titan?_

_ Human? Or Titan?_

_ Human? Or Titan?_

_ Life or death? Ignorance or truth? Respect or rudeness? Good or bad? Kind or evil? Life but already dead? Truth yet ignorant? A rude respect? A good that had never been good? An evil kind of kindness? Die? Die! Die! Die!_

Armin's vision was blood-red. "Stop it!" He started to yell as he saw Eren and Mikasa ran away to the sides. "Stop it!" He repeated, but cannon had already been fired. "This shouldn't happen!" He continued but no one was listening to him.

_Die. You don't deserve to live. The titans have won long ago. Die._

"I said, _st_—"

* * *

"—_op_!"

His voice echoed across the market district, which attracted the attention of several passersby waddling in front of several stores nearby. But it didn't take long for them to ignore the teen. They turned away from him and went on with their usual routines, walking or chatting idly with their friends. Armin's eyes were still wide as he exhausted himself in that shout, breathing raggedly after his legs weakened severely. He leaned forward and placed his hands over his knees, using it to support his form. He darted around, suddenly realizing that Eren and Mikasa were not with him.

"Er—"

"Okay, I'll stop," another voice from behind sprung up, somehow surprising Armin a little bit. The blond quickly whipped his head to the side, seeing a flustered teen move away from him a bit. He quickly saw that sly grin over the other one's face, coupled with a gesture which denoted that he was on the process of doing something nifty towards Armin. The blond only narrowed his eyes against the other teen, and the knowing smile on the latter vanished as soon. "Hey, is there something wrong?" He finally asked Armin.

But Armin's mind was too far away from the question, knowing that he didn't even recognize the seemingly energetic teen in front of him. His heart raced up once more as the sense of familiarity was suddenly turned into a hazy patch of exoticism. Now he discovered that he wasn't even where he knew he was. The wall behind him was gone. The line of soldiers that encircled the three of them was not in sight. All what he saw was a bustling center of people, crowding a large street in that unknown location. He looked suspiciously around him, looking frightened at the sight around him.

"Hey, what's happened?" The teen in front of him approached Armin. He was slightly taller than him, his spiky and short dark hair reminiscent of Jean's own – the only difference was in color. He had a roundish set of eyes, less sharper than Eren's and obviously much energetic and _happy _than his friend's. But despite identifying the physical qualities Armin saw in the other teen, none of his memories had pointed him to be an acquaintance – Armin could swear that he hadn't met this person before. But even with the kind gesture the other teen provided, Armin could not help but held him suspiciously.

"Who are you?" Armin asked him, tone sharp and cold. He was surprised when the other teen stopped and gave him a pained expression. Armin briefly wondered why before he remembered that Eren and Mikasa were still in danger.

"Though I did want to prank you, this 'I-don't-know-who-you-are-game is not exactly funny," the teen just answered, trying to humor Armin at that moment. But a nervous Armin was never the type to be pacified at times like that. The blond continued to hold him in that strangling stare, which made the teen look back at him worriedly. "I'm _Isvenn_," but he did answer him though. "Satisfied?"

_He's thinking that I'm playing him a game? _Armin said in thought, incredulously at that. But he hadn't had the time to play a game, now that he knew his friends were in grave danger. As he planted his gaze around him, he couldn't really identify anything familiar. The absence of the fifty-meter wall was making him paranoid, as if everyone was giving the titans ticket to free food. The absence of the wall was driving Armin crazy, as the seconds passed without him understanding what the hell just happened to him. "W-Where are we?" He muttered.

"You're not serious, are you?" The teen in front of him suddenly spoke. Armin hadn't intended to make it sound like a legitimate question, but it seemed that the other boy – _Isvenn_ – thought that it was a real one. "I think you're overdoing that act of yours." He only remarked, the pained expression he wore seconds ago now being lavished with an irritated one. "Come on, we don't have the time to play your little game." He only said, approaching Armin for another try. "We can continue on with that after we return, _Miccaello_—"

"W-What?" Armin looked at him curiously. "What did you call me?"

"Miccaello?" Isvenn replied. "That's your name, _idiot_." He said, frowning a little bit. "Now I'm getting annoyed." He stated as he turned from Armin and started to walk away from him.

Armin just stared back at him, now more confused than ever. He opened his eyes to discover that he was in a strange land, and someone misidentified him as his friend. _Just what the hell is going on?_ Armin asked himself, both frustrated and annoyed at the same time. Ignoring the other teen who started to speed away, Armin finally took the initiative to walk and see the answers himself.

And once he found the answer to his question, Armin's eyes were only open wide in shock and disbelief. He glared at the wooden sign that were plastered on the walls that outlined what seemed to be the marketplace, looking at it as if it was meant to mock him. He walked slowly nearer the sign and rechecked if he hadn't read wrong. But the letters that were written were clear. As Armin finally took in the name into his head, he looked once again at the place around him.

He was in _Trost_'s market district.

_But there is no such place!_ Armin yelled in thought, looking at the structures that dotted the area. They had scanned the area once in a while, first during their training as students and the rest as part of their duty as trainees. Trost's marketplace was as dull as the fifty-meter wall that soared over the district, and was never lively as he was seeing right now. Armin knew that there was something wrong in this place. This place _never_ existed. He had never seen it before. But the walls were missing. The walls were—

_The walls!_ Armin took his thoughts back. The walls were the only real thing that he could use to know exactly where he was. As long as he could the gigantic structure with his eyes, Armin knew that he was still within the vicinity of the human-occupied lands. But then, even though how much he tried to look up into the sky and find where the foundations of the walls where, Armin could only stand in doubt as the walls that steeled his hope didn't stand on where it was. _As if it didn't exist in the first place…_

"Where are we… Isvenn?" Armin finally asked once more, though he was reluctant to speak back at the other teen. The only immediate thing in his mind was the safety of his friends. And if needed him to ask for help, then Armin would gladly throw in his sense of self just to make it in time. He saw that the dark-haired teen looked at him confusedly, twisting and marching back at where he was. The blond waited as Isvenn covered the distance between them. "Please just answer my question," Armin added, hoping that the other teen would give him a reasonable response.

"We're at the town of Trost," Isvenn answered him, squeezing a doubtful countenance over his face. "Say… you're not trying something, are you?" Isvenn added, adding a droll smile at the end of his statement. It made Armin a little tighter on his words though.

"Perhaps I'm just overthinking some things," Armin lied. But on how Isvenn's face changed into a cheery expression, it seemed that the other teen bought his explanation. Armin only felt discomfited as the scene in front of him rolled out. The more seconds that he wasted, the more that Mikasa and Eren were left in danger!

"You're Miccaello and you're really _supposed_ to overthink things!" Isvenn barked a laugh and punched Armin's shoulder playfully. "That was really a good act though; I almost thought that you've lost your memory or something." Isvenn continued to laugh before he erased a tear of joy away from his eyes. "I don't really know what I will do I lost you just so instantly." He added and turned away from Armin once more. "We're really going to be late if we don't move right now."

_I need to know more!_ Armin thought. From the looks of it, engaging with a light conversation wouldn't really bring him enough information. Everything was simply too vague and knowing that he was still in Trost District made it more confusing. _But if I'm still here, then where are Eren and Mikasa? Just where is that damn wall which is supposed to protect us?_ Armin continued to speak in thought. _You can't simply put away a hundred year old structure away to hide_—but Armin stopped midway as he realized one important factor. What if he was indeed in Trost? In a place where the wall wasn't there yet in the first place?

"Isvenn, what _year_ is it right now?" Armin probed.

"Whoah, whoah, I thought you're simply trying to tricking me?" Isvenn answered.

But Armin wasn't interested to hear the reply anymore when he felt the ground shook beneath him. He had felt the similar sensation; he would never forget that feeling. As the tremor continued to grow stronger, the more that Armin started to feel anxious and afraid. And when a shadow loomed on top of him, Armin could only look in terror as a fifteen-meter titan stood towering over him. The titan slowed and stopped when he noticed Armin gaping back at it. Slowly, the titan dropped on its knees as it looked at Armin in great interest. The titan gradually revealed a large grin, which exposed its numerous and huge teeth. Armin could only shake in horror as the enemy of humanity once again looked down on him as if a hapless prey, an insignificant being that were powerless against them. He tried to reach out for his blades, but noticed that they weren't latched around his waist. Armin could only stare as the titan beheld him in that funny look. And when the titan's hand was an arm's reach away from him, Armin heard someone spoke behind him.

"It's year _738_."

Armin could only look up at the titan that—

* * *

—that loomed over him and Mikasa.

And then an insufferable pain coursed inside his head, making Armin dropped against the ground in an instant. His eyes tearing up at the excruciating agony that struck him down, Armin could only half-observe that great being that instantly appeared before him and Mikasa. It wasn't the same titan that gave him the lecherous grin, but it was still a titan nonetheless. The vapor that materialized together with the titan slowly diffused and finally revealed the form of the being that it shrouded. It was only half a titan, the lower torso completely gone, leaving only half its extremity a head and a body.

It was even in an incomplete form, the ribcage completely exposed, and muscles remained uncovered due to the lack of skin. Armin could not see what the titan looked from the outside, but as he barely noticed the expressions written amongst the ranks of the Stationary Guard, he knew that it was as if they were gazing back at the visage of _death_ itself. But Armin couldn't care for them when his thoughts were focused on saving both Mikasa and Eren. Despite the great pain that befell him, Armin tried to stand up.

"It's so hot," Armin could only say. He kept a hand on his head, trying to ignore the pain that pulsated across his skull. "W-What are we doing inside this gigantic skeleton?" He only added as he looked back at Mikasa.

"It's Eren… He protected us." She answered. "That's all what we need to know for now." She maintained.

At the same time, Eren slipped in between the skeleton's bones, quickly asking them if they were all right. It was Mikasa who regarded him at soon, but Armin could barely keep up as his mind started to get hazy at the same instant.

He could not even hear what Eren was saying, though it seemed that his friend did not even notice it. Armin could only hear some strange whispers that begun to assault his ears, flooding away his friends' voice away from him. As his hearing transitioned from bleary to clear repeatedly, Armin had finally started to listen to a crisp and strong voice. _Isvenn_… Armin could only think of the name. _What i-is this? What is happening?_

_You opened up the gates_, the voice of Isvenn only started started to speak. But his voice wasn't even heard by both Eren and Mikasa. _You opened up the doors that wouldn't be closed anymore. Miccaello, you are the only person who can save the rest. You are the only one who could take back what was taken away. You are the only one who could put everything back in its proper place._ Isvenn continued to speak. _Find… find… find… find what was lost…_

After that, Isvenn's voice was gone.

"I'm getting out of here." Armin was finally pulled out of his clouded thoughts, though the pain remained.

Armin could only glare at his friend in question, wondering how Eren could possibly do if he planned to do it himself. But, at the same time, he could not veer away from the vision that tormented him in agony, and the voice of that person who appeared before him. Armin could only stare in Eren in shock as a seeming memory flooded his thoughts for that moment. _What's t-that supposed to mean? Who's that Isvenn anyway? What has it to do with me?_ He asked himself, never knowing that the true answers were. _What is wrong with me?_

* * *

- **End of First Tale** -


	2. Second Tale: Walls

**Warning**: Increasing rating.

* * *

**The Second Tale: **_**Walls**_

* * *

_**The Three Glorious Donna  
**__**Year 740**_

_Blessed are we who live behind the walls  
__For we are the chosen people of humankind  
__We pity those who're ignorant and blind  
__For they live miserably, endure pain, and crawls_

_Blessed are we who glorify them three -  
__The strong walls that protect and nurture us inside  
__They enable us to roam round and stride  
__And let us humans live our lives as true and free_

_Blessed are we who have stood up with them -  
__Shina, Rose and Maria - those names that saved us  
__The goddesses that pull us from those crass  
__They who have the only rights to point and condemn_

_Blessed are we who lived with Maria  
__For she lives with us in danger, yet far from it  
__The angel that watches from her own seat  
__The one that punishes those who are pariah_

_Blessed are we who are guided by Rose  
__The one who shines humbly and stands undauntedly  
__She's the seraphim that judges truly  
__That separates the good from the dangers who pose_

_Blessed are we who glance up at Shina  
__The protector of the most important loved ones  
__And she who will not fall, not even once  
__The most powerful of the Three Glorious Donna_

**. . . . . . . . .**

Armin didn't exactly know why at first, but when fluttered his eyes open, he immediately saw Jean staring at him. He did want to ask him why the other male was giving him the unparticular attention, but a sharp pain that dug through his skull prevented him from speaking. Armin's head lolled for a while, though he immediately held and tried to rub away the pain. He soon noticed, however, a slightly gravelly texture than ran across his head. It didn't take him long to realize that his head was _bandaged_. _But I didn't sustain any injuries… Did I?_

"Are you alright?" Jean asked him, and the apparent expression of curiosity was still fresh on his face. He unclasped his hands from his chest and placed them on his waist, approaching Armin who sat by the supply boxes atop Wall Rose. For less than a minute, Jean remarked the blond teen with sheer confusion and doubt, but he then let go when he seemed not to have got anything by observing the shorter male. "I thought for a while that you were sleeping." He only said, his eyes somehow still plastered over Armin. "The medics told me to observe you, you know?"

_Why?_ Armin wanted to ask. But from his general appearance alone, it was obvious that he was at loss, especially when Jean began to speak to him. It felt like he had lost a huge chunk of his memory, and the gap that it left summoned the severest pain that it could muster. Armin was slightly thankful that the crisp, sharp pain had begun to dull down, which passably let him to move around, even a little. Slowly, as Jean's words started to punch deeper into his mind, Armin seemed to have finally grasped what the other male was saying. "Did I just suffer from a _concussion_?"

"You did?" Jean sounded blank at first, before his eyes sharpened and looked back at Armin with a worried expression. In a short time his hands managed to reach Armin's head, holding on it really carefully. "Don't tell me you that you don't have any idea of what happened to you," he said, warning Armin at first. Jean searched the bandage that was tied around the blond's head. He was fairly relieved that there were no traces of blood. He let go of Armin and crouched in front of him. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Armin raised an eyebrow at first. He seriously considered ignoring Jean's actions, but noting how the other male looked at him fiercely, Armin had voluntarily pulled his idea away. "Two," Armin answered, sounding a little unnerved with the sudden question. "What's happening right now, Jean?" He asked his fellow trainee. "What am I doing here?" Armin added, looking at the row of the 104th Trainees Squad that positioned themselves at the edges of the wall. As he observed his surroundings, Armin quickly noticed that Eren and Mikasa were not among them. "Where are _they_?"

Jean Kirschtein only held a suspicious gaze at Armin before he looked at the same direction where the other teen was looking. "You don't remember anything?" He asked, with his voice soft. Armin looked up at him, not because he was entirely confused, but because of the tone of Jean's voice. Somehow, he could point out that there was something different in that kind of tone, something that easily warned Armin that it was not entirely pleasing. "Are you sure you are all right?" He asked once more. "We didn't even know that you had hit your head earlier. You just suddenly collapsed after sharing your plan to the Commander Pixis' officers." He told Armin, purposely leaving out the part on how both Mikasa and Eren almost ran amok after he lost his consciousness. "Though it was a good thing that you managed to let them hear you out, I think you still need some medical atten—"

"So I was able to save them…" Armin stated, quickly cutting off Jean midway his sentence. He felt a warm sensation that brimmed on his lids. But he ignored it, as he basked in the small joy that he felt upon knowing that he was able to _buy_ Eren and Mikasa's safety. A sudden torrent of memory instantly flooded his mind, which made him grip his head once more, the pain suddenly increasing in intensity. But despite that skull-splitting agony that he endured, Armin was still so happy that he was of help to his dearest friends, that even at the critical point of losing their lives, he was still able to save them. "I was able to save Eren…" He only muttered. He then remembered how Eren almost _foolishly _entrusted his life to him, on how Eren pushed the final decision upon his hands. At first, he couldn't think of anything but of how heavy the burden Eren just gave him. Armin was nothing – he was weak and pathetic. But Eren just rested himself over Armin with no hesitation, which appeared as if Eren already chose to carelessly throw his life away. Armin was so scared… so scared that he might be the cause of his friend's death.

But, in the end, after the brief yet important trial that were judged by the Station Guards' petty minds, Armin was able to stop Eren and Mikasa's death and saved them by hair's breadth. He now remembered that it was Dot Pixis, the commander responsible for the southern regions, who had stopped their execution that time. Fueled by Armin's resolve and determination and will, Commander Pixis prevented their deaths and gave them the chance, believing in Armin's words that Eren, instead of being looked at as a monster, was the person who would help them win back the district of Trost from the attacking titans. Armin was glad that time… and the insufferable pain coursed through him once more. At that time, his body fell despite being supported by the wooden boxes, ending up in prone atop the walls of Rose.

"Oi!" Jean scrambled beside him. His voice seemed to have attracted the voice of some other trainees, as Marco and Conny had managed to reach them in no time at all. Jean held Armin's body steadily and helped him back on the wooden crates, earning the assistance of his fellow trainee in the process. "Now I know you're not really fine yet," Jean muttered as he watched Armin switched from a completely conscious state into a half-dazed appearance then back once more. On top of it, he knew that Armin was in great pain, as evidenced by how the blond clutched tightly on his head.

"W-What was I d-doing before t-this?" Armin asked, suddenly reaching out to Jean's arm, gripping hard. Armin only looked out on him pleadingly. He didn't know what happened to him. Armin's mind was all muddled up, and he could only remember things until the moment mentioned by Jean, when he just finished up briefing his seniors about the plan that he had came up. For the rest of the events, Armin had really no idea of, and the only way of knowing was from his companions alone. "P-Please…tell me."

Conny and Jean shared a tight glance with one another. Aside from Jean, Conny was the other trainee who kept a close eye on Armin; especially after the events concerning Eren's supposed transformation. With a nod, Conny then faced Armin after turning away from Jean. "After you collapsed, Commander Pixis especially ordered to treat you up." He began. "After some minutes, you wake up instantly, but you didn't say anything yet. We all thought that you were all right, since you're typically silent, especially when Eren and Mikasa are not around." He told Armin. "Until that time and during the period when we went up here atop Wall Rose, you were fully awake."

"In fact, you brought yourself up here, after declining Reiner's offer to help you climb," Jean spoke up that moment, picking up on where Conny left. "I was so sure that you're conscious during all that time. The medics told us to watch out if you're getting dizzy or sleepy." He added. Jean faced Armin once again, wearing the same confused expression when he was looking at him earlier. "You were saying some things… I didn't hear much, but I'm sure you weren't speaking to anyone." He finally confessed. "It was like you were _reciting_ some lines." He said.

Armin looked at Jean, but what he said was starting to make sense. He didn't know if he fell asleep, but what he and Conny told him just meant that he was wide awake from the moment when the medic treated him and until the time that the trainees climbed atop the wall. It felt really confusing, but Armin didn't really remember anything, not even when he supposedly woke up after collapsing almost an hour ago. But if Jean was sure that he was 'reciting' something those times, then Armin could not help but think that it was those verses that appeared in his vision. He did not know what it meant, but Armin could easily remember the lines, as if it was intentionally flashed into his mind. He couldn't understand why he had to have that _dream _or whatever… _But isn't it the same with the other one?_ Armin remembered once more. _Isvenn… the time when the titan appeared… the walls are missing… there are no walls… Trost is not Trost… Where the hell am I? What the hell is happening?_ Those questions fired simultaneously inside his head, making him moan loudly in pain again.

"Conny, Marco, hold him!" Jean ordered as Armin started to squirm, still atop the supply boxes. The blond was thrashing around, still obviously in agony. "Damn, what's happening to you?!" Jean only said, though he knew Armin would not be able to answer him. Most of the 104th Trainee Squad members were beginning to notice the commotion that was developing on where the four was. All of their eyes were wide after seeing Armin tossed about, as he seemed to be dealing in a lot of suffering. But just as their attentions were caught by Armin, all of them suddenly looked at the sky when a red flare shot up near where Trost's gate was. There was no question that it was the same spot where an advanced team was sent to plug in the hole with the huge stone that lay there.

The same place where Eren and Mikasa was sent…

Armin stopped as soon, staring at the red flare – the red smoke – that informed them of a single message: the mission was a clear failure. Armin was clouded with doubt once more, fear and anxiety flooding his chest as soon. It was impossible for the mission to have ended miserably, Armin initially thought.

His friends were there. There was no _fucking _way that he'd lose them at the same time. He shook Marco and Conny's hands away from him and dashed towards the very edge of the wall. And then he jumped…

Armin quickly fired his three-dimensional maneuver gear and attached himself to the nearest structure, dashing and moving across the landscape, avoiding the obstacles that blocked his way. The pain that coursed on his head was now the same pain that urged him to continue. The agony he felt right now was nothing to the feeling of worry and fear he felt for his closest friends. Armin's eyes were wide as he watched the red smoke rise up higher into the sky, wondering what just happened with the team sent in to the plug the hole that let lesser titans inside the district of Trost. Armin continued on his way, in his mind nothing but his concern for his friends, questions if they were still alive and well, words that he had always meant to tell them. Armin moved head, his eyes focused on the red smoke. The red smoke that signaled them that—

* * *

—that they were being _summoned_ back.

_No!_ Armin quickly yelled in thought. _The red signal meant that the mission ended in failure!_ He mentally corrected. And when he realized that he wasn't moving using the maneuver gear anymore, Armin felt that his whole body shifted, as if losing balance from the momentum just seconds ago he had sustained. His legs wobbling in the effort to maintain his posture, Armin lost control and started to fall forward. He ended up flat on his stomach, picking up the dust and earth that immediately soiled his clothes.

_Damn!_ Armin mentally cursed, hitting the ground with his fist. Armin was smart, so nobody had to tell him what just happened to him in that instant. He knew that he was back in _that _place again, in the District of Trost that was nowhere near the _Trost _that he knew. The real question, however, was that of the cause of this 'visions'. After the blurry appearance of the one named Isvenn during Eren's transformation, Armin realized that he might be experiencing some _hallucinations_. It was abnormal – of course – but he also knew it was too extreme. In fact, the visions were too vivid for it to be considered a meager hallucination alone.

He quickly raised his head and looked around him. Right now, he was far from the town, seeing that the houses and buildings were blotted as small structures from afar. From the looks of it, he was on a road, that lead somewhere – _wherever_. Armin gritted his teeth as the mild pain on his head pulsated once more, as he tried to help himself up from the ground. As Armin dusted off his clothes of the dirt that clung on it, he was surprised when a deep-toned voice spoke behind him.

"You've been acting weird."

Armin turned and looked at the person. He quickly identified it as Isvenn. The other held a suspicious gaze back at him, to what reason Armin had no idea. "I-Isvenn," the blond only tried to speak, but he seemed to have invited the other male's unwarranted attention.

"Ever since the _Leonhardt_ Family invited you some weeks ago, you've been acting so weird," Isvenn repeated, looking at Armin dejectedly. "Tell me, what did they say to you?" He asked at first. Armin only held a confused expression. If he was already idealess about this _hallucination_ in the first place, then what made Isvenn think that Armin was knowledgeable about it?

But Armin had no time to speak with this teen – with this _hallucination _of his. What was more important was to wake himself up. Perhaps it was just the same, what Jean and Conny told him. They said that he was awake whole the time, though Armin himself knew that he couldn't remember anything about it. Perhaps he was in a _trance_, in a state wherein his consciousness was away from his body. Armin had no good knowledge of the mind and the body, but his guesses weren't exactly petty either. Darting his eyes around, Armin tried to find a way to escape, though he didn't actually know yet just how the hell he would wake himself up.

But a strong hand quickly snatched his arm. Armin looked at his side and found that it was Isvenn who grabbed him. Looking a little annoyed, Armin tried to free himself from the other male, but it only made the other one hold even tighter. "What do you want?" Armin asked, voice much sterner than before. As he glared back at the other male, Armin continued to speak. "Let me go!"

And Isvenn did.

Armin pulled his arms and rubbed it for a moment, while he sent his eyes back at the other teen. But he was only surprised when instead of sporting an angry look Isvenn wore an expression of hurt and sadness. Armin didn't mean to make him feel bad; he was just too stunned about the things around him, too anxious to even speak normally. But what made him feel guilty was the fact that Isvenn was starting to make an almost physical resemblance to his closest friend, Eren. Armin couldn't help but think that it was Eren who he was speaking to and everyone – except he and Mikasa – had no idea how Eren could be really touchy-feely.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, apologizing not because he wanted to console the other teen but to soothe the guilt that riled him at that point. "I'm just really stressed out right now," Armin only added, making Isvenn look at him curiously. But as Armin tried to smoothen out his thoughts and considered every factor around him, he suddenly started to think that something was _off_. He could not exactly identify what, but it felt like it was already on the tip of his tongue.

"That's exactly why I don't want you mingling with the Leonhardt." Isvenn said. Armin turned to him instantly. He hadn't given attention to it on the first time, but, right now, Armin could swear that the name rang a bell inside his mind. He knew – he could swear! – just _who _carried that name. Armin knew that it was one of his squadmates. But for some reason, he couldn't reach deeper inside his mind; he couldn't even touch his memory. Slowly, his mind faded into the far reaches of a dark pit – a pit that Armin would fear to go over to. _I don't know,_ he finally stated in thought. _I don't know who has the Leonhardt name…_

"Where are we going?" Armin only asked. The signs of anxiety had already left his face; Armin's expression changed into that of calm. _What am I doing? _He asked himself. _Did I just yell at Isvenn?_ He added. As his eyes peeled away from the distraught that blemished his irises, Armin slowly withered through his mind once more._ Eren… Mikasa… where are you? What am I doing here? Eren… Mikasa… who are you? Why am I looking for you?_

"We are being called back by my family," Isvenn answered, pointing at the tall trail of red smoke that rose up from a certain field. "It's really weird for us to use such kind of method to communicate, but perhaps it's just because of the family _perk_." He said. Isvenn realized that Armin was just so tense some seconds ago, so he finally ignored it and settled himself with a small smile. He knew that his friend was just too nervy for his own good, but it had saved the two of them for a lot of times already.

"I see," Armin answered. "For what reason do you think that your parents want you this time?" He asked.

"Well, I don't know." Isvenn answered. "Aside from training, they don't really have any other logical reason to call me." He said.

Armin was silent for a while. "About the Leonhardt… they didn't really say anything in particular. They only told me that they wanted to see me, that's all." He shared to Isvenn. _What? _Armin suddenly thought. _I didn't know that? What am I saying? I don't have any memory of it, yet I'm speaking of it? What's going on?_

"But you know that I don't really like them," Isvenn said, while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Even though my family is acquainted with them for a long time already, I can't really bring myself to trust them. I don't even have any Leonhardt friends!" He exclaimed.

"Well that's because you're really _choosy_, Isvenn," Armin said as he chuckled softly. "You have a certain criteria when it comes to making some friends." He maintained, looking at Isvenn as he spoke. "I even wonder why am I friends with you now."

"Stop saying that!" Isvenn pouted. "I will really hit you for real one time these days!" He threatened. "I just don't train for nothing, you know?" He clapped his bicep at the same time. "I have a duty to perform and… and…" His voice softened. He dropped his hands on his side and looked a little bit sad yet again. "And the time is already near." He said. "Even though I will make my family proud, I don't really know what happens during _that _time." He admitted. "I can say that I'm a little bit scared. I mean, they say that not everyone can _pass_ in that test."

"I know," Armin said confidently. _I don't know… what am I saying?_ "I've heard from the Leonhardt too. They say that it is a difficult moment for the members who undergo _that_." He added. _No… what is difficult? Why do I know of this?_ "But they also say that if you are able to pass it, then you will be even greater than you are right now. And that you can fulfill your duty without fail." He continued. "Being the _kingdom's protector _is a difficult task, I know. But I will be even more proud if I have a _friend_ who succeeds the hardest trial." Armin only smiled.

Isvenn only looked shocked at first, before a warm smile descended over his lips. "Sometimes, you do really say some crazy stuff," he said, sounding so embarrassed at the same time. Isvenn only turned away from him, hiding away his face. "Ahh! Why do you have to say those things right now?!" He just said, but sounding so happy as well. "You know… saying that makes me want to actually _eat _you…"

_What?_ Armin was surprised to hear it.

"I don't know…" Isvenn said, voice getting deeper as each word was pronounced. "Should I really eat you right now?"

_What are you saying? What are you_—but he was even cut off from his thoughts when the air around him shifted. Veins started to pop out from Isvenn's body… and then they exploded…

Muscles and bones started to shoot up from Isvenn, quickly dominating Armin's eyes. The vapor that accompanied the sudden explosion seared through Armin's skin, almost burning him with the hot temperature. Bones crackled as they were constantly broken and remade, shifting into an identifiable skeleton, before being covered by the fleshy mass of muscles that coalesced into strong fibers. At last, skin started to appear and mesh the bones and muscles under it. At the end of the scene, a fifteen-meter titan stood before Armin, looking at him as a tiny prey cowering for his life.

And Armin finally snapped free. Just seeing a single titan was enough for him to remember the bitter memories and the spiteful past. Though he hadn't experienced the titan's horror himself, he had seen enough to send him begging for his life, enough to send him fighting for his dream. Just one titan and Armin was experiencing the difficult years that he'd been through, all the sacrifices that he'd made… all because he wanted to live – because he wanted Eren and Mikasa to live.

His memories flew back to him. Eren and Mikasa were his top priority. It was Eren and Mikasa who had given him the chance to live, who had saved him multiple times. It was only enough for him to repay the life his dear friends had given him, and he would do everything just to make them live on. As the titan that stood before him beheld him in great interest, Armin was just as lost.

The titan slowly crouched down in front of Armin, its eyes not letting go of its prey. With its fierce eyes, it was able to corner Armin in a seeming paralysis – too much fear the titan gave, too much of it to render a prey truly powerless. It reached out and grabbed Armin, lacing its fingers around his small and frail body. The titan could only see the insurmountable fright in Armin's eyes… and seemed to enjoy the sight. The titan made a guttural sound, not too loud for a shout but enough to make Armin shudder in its hold.

Now, Armin was now in the titan's hands—

* * *

—hands, standing bravely atop of _Titan_ Eren's palm.

Armin quickly sucked in a breath as he regained consciousness, kneeling on a single knee on the process. It was then he realized that it wasn't just any wall or roof he was standing at, but in fact a titan's hands, which was placed in supine to serve as Armin's platform. The blond teen quickly looked behind him – breathing still ragged – and saw that it was the _titan_ that Eren had transformed into. Though he was in titan form, Armin felt at ease upon knowing that Eren was still alive and—

"Armin!" Mikasa yelled out, quickly snatching the attention of the blond teen. Armin sent her a curious expression, but quickly understood that they were in a dire situation. Mikasa jumped to the nearest building. "What happened?" She first asked to him. "What did you do to—"

"Wait!" Armin cut her off. "There is no time to explain!" He said. As the scene before flooded his visions, the wires inside his mind started to work as soon. Armin quickly saw the titans that began to swarm over the location near the elite team. "We need to work on this – _fast_!" He said.

Armin turned to Eren once again. Despite the gigantic form, Armin swore that he was as if looking at Eren himself. Even though he was face-to-face with a titan, Armin could not feel any semblance of fear and panic. "Eren!" He called out, and the titan shifted his head down at Armin. "You know what do, right?" He asked. It took some seconds before Eren nodded, time that was used when the two of them shared the same strong glances. As soon as Eren started to move out, Armin jumped off his hand and flew his way to the nearest roof, watching his friend lift the huge boulder nearby.

"Mikasa!" Armin called her friend's attention. "We have to protect Eren!" He only said, as a loud cracking noise exploded around them. In one swift motion, Eren was able to pick up the boulder due to his sheer power and size. "If we cover Eren until he reaches the breach, it'll be our victory!" He added as the two of them watched Eren marched away with the huge stone. And as soon as he said that, Armin launched himself away using the maneuver gear, following Eren's footsteps as he strode on.

Squad leader Ian soon reached the spot where Armin was, quickly noticing how Mikasa stilled after hearing the blond teen's words. Apparently, she was still shocked of what recently happened – _heck_, even Ian was as equally appalled after remarking the scene. "It seems that he doesn't have any idea of what he just did." Ian commented aloud, letting Mikasa hear a piece of his own thought. The female whipped her head to him, and the look on her face already said that she couldn't agree more. "Your batch is full of _monsters_," he said. "And that's _good_ news for humanity." He said.

"I did not know what happened too, squad leader." Mikasa finally responded. She suddenly remembered the second when Armin suddenly appeared from nowhere, eyes set upon Eren who had gone berserk that time. But unlike the normally frightful look that lavished her friend's face, she saw a different expression on Armin, that of confidence and determination. She saw how Armin sped his way against Eren and landed upon his head. "I saw him talked to Eren." She continued. "But instead of attacking him, Eren stopped from moving." She said.

"I saw that too," Ian responded. "You tried to talk to him as well, but Eren did not listen." He said, fisting his right hand. "It was already dangerous, so I asked you to move away from him." His face clearly showed the concern and fear that he felt during that instance. "But I wasn't near enough when Armin arrived. Did you hear what he told Eren?"

Mikasa faced him. "Yes," she answered and frowned at the same time. "But I didn't understand what he was saying." She confessed, surprising Ian. "Armin was talking to Eren in a different _language_." She finally said.

"But he just talked to him in _common_ right now!" Ian responded hastily.

"It would seem that Eren understands us even though he is in his titan form." Mikasa supposed. "Back then when we first saw him, he clearly ignored all of us humans and just continued on attacking the titans. He has a clear human mindset, but I don't know the reason why he's gone berserk this time." Mikasa maintained. "Perhaps he's still having a hard time in controlling his titan body." She gave her deduction. Squad leader Ian regarded her for some seconds, before he gave her a reassuring nod.

"It's understandable," he said. "It's like we're using an _experimental _weapon against the titans." Ian shared. "But what concerns me most now is about how your friend was able to calm Eren down." He stated. "It's like he was a taming a _wild _titan or something…" He postulated. "And if he did so using a different language…" He shook his head violently. "No, like he said, this is not the time. Mikasa, I want you to follow your friend and move on to Eren's location." He ordered her, as he prepared his own gear. "That's an order. Now move!"

But unknown to them, Armin was also thinking of what just happened. As he chased behind Eren, he couldn't help but wonder as to exactly how he 'woke up' in the middle of the elite team operation. He only remembered the scene with Isvenn – nothing more – and then all he knew was that he was standing upon Titan Eren's hands. His mind was even more confused now, that instead of getting answers, he was being drowned in a deeper heap of questions. Slithering his way against the titans that tried to reach out to Eren, Armin could only asked himself on question.

_Was that really a hallucination?_

"Jean," Conny called him, moments after Armin left them. The teen with the silver-brown hair looked at him. Raising a single eyebrow, Jean signaled the Conny to continue. "You said that you heard Armin talking to himself a while ago." He said. "I didn't notice that, but I understand that Armin himself seems not to have any idea of it." He added. "Did you hear what he was speaking about?" He finally asked. Jean held the other teen with a confused expression for a while before he sighed and walked near him.

"I heard him recited _The Glorious Three Donna_." He said. Conny looked at him bewilderedly. Everyone knew of the poem, for it was one of the most famous literary pieces developed during the one hundred years that the humans stayed within the walls. "But when I listened to him closely, he was speaking of lines that I _never_ knew of." He added. "It was like he was adding some new lines to the piece… or he was like pointing out lines that had been _hidden _away from the people." He scrunched his nose up as he thought of the insinuation. "After he had spoken of the poem, he was speaking mindlessly about a certain book."

"A book?" Conny repeated. "I heard that Armin's quite a reader." He brought up. "So what was the book he was talking about?"

"I don't know," Jean answered at first. "But from the sound of it, it is one of the banned books. He was describing when he was speaking, so I couldn't miss the description of the seal, the one that tells us if a book is prohibited or not." He said. "But I'm worried. There are certain books that the Royalty has decreed as heretic in nature. You can receive capital punishment even by knowing its content." He shared.

"Then the more important thing to do is to ask Armin to stop putting himself in danger," Conny said.

"Yeah," Jean nodded. All he wanted was to come to the peaceful walls of Shina, away from the true danger that the titans possessed. But then he was reminded that there were some _businesses_ that he should not ever touch and he should not ever learn about. Like a _simple_ book that could condemn one to death… But one question did arise from his mind, after listening to Armin for a while.

_Who is Ysmir?_

* * *

_- _**End of Second Tale** -


	3. Third Tale: Guardians

**Warning**: Increasing rating.

* * *

**The Third Tale: **_**Guardians**_

* * *

_**A Letter from the Great Kingdom  
**__**Year 737**_

To the respective families of Leonhardt, Schattmeister and Mirreaun,

Greetings! It is with great pleasure to address the well-known families that inhabit the peaceful lands of Trost and Susitholme. It has come to the Royalty's attention that the southern provinces has proved to be well-managed despite the looming threat from the nearby kingdoms, a feat that is well-deserving of praises and notable rewards. I am pleased to tell you that the Royalty has permitted the three notable families to increase control among the local guards, all in the favor of maintaining peace and serenity within your areas of hegemony and administration.

The Kingdom has also recently received a letter of commendation from a neighboring monarchy, pointing out your families' assistance of such great magnitude. Because of this, the Great Kingdom managed to strike an alliance of steady peace and security with them. With great humility, I ask the three of you to continue your great service to the Kingdom – the Royalty and the people – in order to protect us from constant harm. As the Kingdom's great protectors, we all wish for your continuing strength and valor, that you may save us from catastrophe and suffering.

The second advisor to the Great King,  
Reverend Isidori Dovalsky

**. . . . . . . . .**

"You look tired." Mikasa finally noted, making Armin look at her with a weary, sheepish smirk. And though Armin probably meant that he was fine with that attempt for a smile, she did not become Armin's friend because she could simply feign the meager signs he was constantly showing. Mikasa's pitch black orbs continued to descend back at her friend, scanning him as she always did for Eren. "Is that so?" She didn't mean to make it sound sarcastic, but her nearly emotionless tone did so. Armin only looked back at her with a pair of droll eyes, appearing as if he was caught in the 'act.'

"I haven't been sleeping well these nights," Armin finally admitted, as he slumped back hard on the wooden chair while ignoring the cracking sound created when his body made contact with the furniture. Armin was too tired to endure the pain; too tired to express the mild agony. Overlooking it was the best option. Ignoring the pain was one way for him to avoid putting his suffering in comparison to those felt by the people around him. He only smiled a little – _weakly_, at his best – when he noticed Mikasa's worried glance. "But I'm fine. Tired… but still _living_,"

And saying that made his stomach churn, almost wanting to expel everything inside it. But Armin held back, trying his best to wear that neutral expression. He hated it when he needed to state it that way, that he was a lucky fellow for surviving at to this point. Whether or not it was necessary to make a comparison, Armin had to point out right now. The proof of living was with him right now, though in fact he was disgusted on how pitiful he truly was. Even though he was weak, Armin was a necessary piece for humankind, for those who survived were the true veterans, and the veterans were the ones who made the true difference. But Armin was not oblivious of the fact that he was alive – up to that day, up to that hour, up to that very minute – through the sacrifices made by the other people around him. He might be a survivor, but it was a _chance_ bought for him, bought by the very _lives_ of those who perished against the titans. Armin knew this, but a comparison had to be made for the sake of those like him who still lived.

Armin only stared back at Mikasa, shying away the disgust for himself, burying it in the deepest recesses of his mind. Even though he was the weakest link among them three, Armin had to stay strong for his friends. They were the closest to his heart, as they considered him back – proven by Eren's deep trust for him, after practically entrusting his life to Armin during Felman's effort to execute him. Armin would do everything for them, would do things for their sake, even if it needed him to swallow up the most horrible of truths and stoop down lower than human dignity could even spare.

It had already been two days since the hole in the Trost District had been stoppered. After the relentless attack against the remaining titans inside the walls, the Stationary Guards were able to annihilate them, although much of the work were to be credited to the elite units – the Scouting Legion – who retreated to Trost after receiving the news of the attack. The assault against the last titans within Trost had been brutal – as whispered among the soldier ranks – but was generally labeled as success – as the Imperial Government was concerned. But unlike the rest of their squadmates, Armin and Mikasa had no idea of knowing what happened as an outcome.

After helping out with the initial assault, Armin and Mikasa were pulled out some hours after assisting Eren plug the hole in the wall. The Stationary Guards were tight lipped on the details, but several members of the Scouting Legions were uptight and in seeming disagreement with their compatriots from the other branch. Perhaps it was not entirely unusual for the two branches to clash, since the two had essentially different roles to perform. But Armin couldn't care more for the ideals the two branches upheld. Needless to say, Armin had already grasped the idea as to why he and Mikasa were brought away… or rather being _detained_. And so, when they reached the Trost Headquarters, Armin had expected correct; an investigation was currently underway, despite the fact that an on-going operation against the titan was still in progress. By that time, the look on Mikasa's face had turned sour. In one nip, Armin knew his friend would snap. It took him to assure Mikasa that Eren was fine; words that he himself was not sure of. But thinking the negative would not bring them good; as long as the two of them hoped that Eren was well, at least he and Mikasa could cope.

And during those two long days, the only source of news was their friends from their batch. From time to time, Marco and Conny would often visit them, especially when the two of them were free from tasks. Despite the monotone detail of the combined forces of the Stationary Guards and the Scouting Legion defeating the last of the titans, Armin was glad to know that they were winning and that the 104th squad was doing fine. There was even one time that Jean had taken the effort to see them – which surprised Armin and Mikasa. Though he just brought the same news, it only meant that even Jean did _care_ about his fellow batchmates. But Armin find it slightly amusing, upon remembering what Marco told them last time.

'_I think Jean will come here next_,' Marco said in a mirthful tone. Armin didn't know what he probably meant by that. '_He_'_ll come_.' And Jean did come after that.

"I wonder how they are doing right now." Armin sighed, making Mikasa look at him. "The cannons have stopped firing and—"

The door blast open, quickly cutting Armin off his words. The blue-eyed teen quickly trailed a look back at the door and saw Jean right away. As Armin versed the question he wanted to ask to his fellow squadmate, he immediately noted the glazed expression that bathe Jean's face. He snatched a glance at Mikasa, and how she nodded at him made him aware that she was probably thinking of the same thing. He slowly turned to Jean. "Hey," he tried to call out. The lack of response finally made Armin move. "Jean…"

Armin tried to reach out to Jean, but the teen with the light auburn hair sent a narrowed stare at him, warning Armin that he'd not be so kind if he kept on closing the distance. The pupils in his irises were sharp, and was full of wrath and rage. By the way he looked at Armin, it seemed that it wouldn't be seconds too long before he lunge at him because of the sheer fury he felt. "Get the _fuck_ away from me," Jean's voice was harsh and made Armin stop in an instant. "Don't even touch me." He added.

Armin considered Jean's words before he made a reply. "Are you all right?" He asked, instead of probing the actual matter. And though Armin didn't want to invite Jean's further rage to himself by purposely avoiding to ask what the problem was, Armin was still genuinely worried for Jean – as he was worried for Mikasa, for Eren, and everybody else from the 104th squad. He waited patiently for Jean's reply, despite the look on his face saying that he won't talk. And Armin watched as Jean trailed further inside the room and tucked himself in the corner. "Jean, how're you feeling?" Armin only repeated.

Jean shut his eyes close and clutched on his hair. He wanted to ignore the question, but he couldn't simply keep it to himself. It was news that was bound to be known, and remaining silent would just prolong the agony. "_H_-_He_'s dead…" Jean finally said as he squeezed in his head against his knees. He dug his fingers deep against his scalp, as if trying to dredge up his very skull. "He's dead." He stated once more. "I finally saw him. But n-no one…" He muttered, sounding so flustered and angry at the same time.

But even just hearing _that _word made Armin's skin pale instantaneously. If Jean was acting like this, it only meant that the person he was talking about was someone Armin knew – even perhaps a member of their batch. He shuddered as soon as he heard that statement from Jean. "W-Who?" Armin asked even though he didn't want to know. He had lost too many of his friends and being reminded of that fact alone made him reach out haplessly. The memories that they made within three years were long. But those _fucking _long years were but ended within a mere second. With a single bite, those titans managed to sever the frail bonds that they had made. In just a single swipe, the three years of hope and effort were ended abruptly. He remembered Thomas when an abnormal titan caught him. He remembered Nack, Millius and Mina when all of them were torn apart by the titans. Just a reminiscent thought of what happened shook him, and knowing that their numbers dwindled even after all the efforts they'd done made Armin feel sick yet again.

"_Marco_ is dead." Jean finally said.

Armin was wide-eyed upon hearing it. Of course, everyone from their class knew him. Marco Bodt was a charismatic character from their batch, and he was respected for both of kindness and intelligence. And though he was far from the level of someone like Mikasa or Reiner or Bertholdt, his personality and wits made him a capable soldier. And to know that someone who was kind as Marco – one who probably just wanted everyone's safety – had even fallen victim to the ruthlessness of the titans was the final straw. Armin lurched over in a crouching position when he tumbled down, clutching on his chest at the same time. He found it difficult to breath, his airway constricting the movement of air in and out of his lungs. And before he knew it, tears had streamed down from his eyes. The warm tears dropped on the floor, wetting it as the drops accrued on that single spot. "I-I'm sorry," Armin said, in between his huffs. "But I-I know M-Marco did his j-job well until the end." He said. "I know we can be proud of him. I k-know th—"

"Who the _fuck_ are you to say that?" Armin hadn't realize that Jean had already sped his way towards him. "Did you see what happened? Are you sure that Marco died _honorably_?" He asked, eyes clearly showing that he was angry. Jean grabbed Armin by the collar of his clothes. "_Shit_! Nobody even knew where he went when we were deployed! Perhaps nobody knew that he needed some help!" He continued to say, not even pulling his heated stare against Armin. "Why? Do you even know how it feels to die knowing that none of your friends is even aware of it? Have you felt dying on your own, with no one around there to comfort you?!" He continued to ask, shaking Armin in the process.

"I don't know!" Armin yelled back in response, though his eyes still poured out his tears. He held on to Jean's hands, yet he did not move them away from their tight clutches. "I don't know what happened to Marco, but you can _blame _me instead!" He said. "I was the one who suggested the operation in the first place! I was the one who proposed to Commander Pixis to _sacrifice _the lives of the soldiers." He continued, tears unceasingly flowing down his cheeks. "If I had thought of something much better, then even I could have saved Marco. But I am a failure and I could only think that Marco died bravely." He added. "If you're that angry, then be angry at me—"

Armin didn't even need to repeat his words when a fist collided against his cheek. The blond teen tumbled towards the other side, his face skidding against the cement floor. Armin reeled in pain silently, accepting all of Jean's anger and frustration from that hit. He chose to sprawl over the floor for a while, still winding up the sadness that welled from his chest. _You don't need to suffer alone_, Armin thought. _It's all my fault. Everyone's death is my fault_.

Mikasa was quick on her feet when he assisted Armin. As she helped Armin stand up, she looked furiously against Jean, ready to go berserk against him. Years of childhood memory had made her attuned to defending her blond friend, a customary happenstance that she, Eren and Armin shared back then at Shiganshina. But when Armin's hand fell on her arm, Mikasa looked confusedly at the blond. She understood that Armin didn't want her to fight back for him. She already knew, but she had no idea of the reason why.

"And now you're offering me to push all the blame to you?" Jean said, hand still in fist. "Did you even think of that when your plan to retake Frost was happening?" He asked. His knuckles were red, either painted with Armin's blood or from the wound that crisped open when he punched the blond. "You're just as reckless as that friend of yours. If you are in a hurry to spend the lives of those around you, then why don't you just throw yourself into the fray and pay it with your own life?" He said accusingly. "I can't stand you. Perhaps you're even more of a monster than a titan is!"

And then Jean left, marching out of the room angrily. Armin could only watch him in a bleary vision, since tears still glazed his eyes, puffing them red. As Mikasa steadied him on the nearby chair, Armin could only grieve silently as the nightmare continued to plague all of them.

"It's o-only proof that Jean is a kind person." Armin said as he lolled his head forward, letting his strands of gold cover his eyes. "All along, he is worrying for us, that despite his misgivings he still looks out for our well-being." He held on to Mikasa's hand. "He is angry at himself. He is angry that he wasn't able to know what even happened to Marco." He squeezed Mikasa's hand a little bit harder, clinging to her as his last chain to sanity. "But what he said about me is real. I didn't even thought of it when I shared the plan to Commander Pixis. During that time I only wanted to save the three of us." Armin continued to think of it. "Jean is right. I am despicable. I am even worse than a titan."

* * *

"It is entirely a different case right now and I believe you know it as well." Lance Corporal Rivaille stated to his senior as the two of them walked along the headquarters' hallway. Though Commander Irvin seemed undaunted with the nearly provocative connotation of those words, he still kept a wary glance back at his trusted officer, even though it did not last for long. He turned his gaze forward, focusing instead on the path ahead of him. Rivaille noted the brief gaze, but chose not to make any unnecessary comment. Heck, everything by _that _point on seemed to have been rendered unnecessary. "But I rest all my decisions to you," he added.

Commander Irvin Smith of the Scouting Legion did not look back at Rivaille after that, but he had let his expression calm down for a little bit, relaxing the creases that held his face into that somber countenance. It didn't have to be pointed out that most of the officers and those soldiers under him relegated their trust without question, so for whatever reason Rivaille had to add that statement Irvin had no idea off. Sometimes, it was the serious ones who had those noticeable quirks and it seemed that Rivaille was no exemption. "I have my thoughts, yes. But the defense of Trost is the utmost priority." He answered.

"But this current _farce _is unneeded." Rivaille responded. "After we have recaptured Trost, all of _their _attention has turned towards _that _kid." He said. "If this continues, then even priority _two _has to be pushed off the list as well."

"I'm well aware of the mission priorities." Irvin answered. "But the Scouting Legion's missions are all one and the same. Right now, we just found a perfect _excuse_ to justify our goals for humankind." He pointed out. "What comes next will fall in proper place, on its _own_." He placed his pupils to his side, stealing a small glance back at his junior officer.

"And we make use of this perfect excuse, we'll be able to get what we want." Lance Corporal answered, taking note of the stare the older male was giving him. Despite the undertones Irvin was using, Rivaille had not been an officer because of petty reasons alone; he had his ways of knowing, and understanding part of Commander Irvin's thought was a fragment of his tasks. "But I do hope that we'll be able to use _him_. Things come to worst, I'll slice _him _dead."

"It's a loss, if things do come to that." Commander Irvin replied. "But _he_'ll serve as a quite specimen for study," he said. Though not entirely devoid of emotion, pragmatism only made Irvin sound cold and relentless. But being part of the Scouting Legion would make one wish that he had total control of his emotions, for sometimes it was a burden than a guiding light, a serious obstacle that hinder one to fight the titans in full strength. "But I bet you understand best that _he_'ll be our best gamble for the _stuff _we are searching for."

Rivaille jolted inconspicuously after Commander Irvin said that. The Scouting Legion's priority _two _was finding the details that were lost by the Imperial Government when the titans breached Wall Maria five years ago. Aside from taking the initiative in seizing back the territory humanity had lost, their focus had also shifted into finding the necessary information that might help them win the war from the titans. It was not entirely unknown that research areas were mostly found in the outlying districts. And with the fall of Wall Maria, most of them had been lost behind the advancing titans.

"I understand." Rivaille only answered, as he reasoned with the immediate details inside his head. "I know you're planning something that will make use of that _kid_. And if it's enough to make you think that it's well worth it, then I won't have any further objections." He said, stating it as if it was already an agreement signed in blood. Irvin merely blinked at Rivaille's pronouncement, totally barren of any obvious reaction. In cases like this, Irvin's first choice was to keep his thoughts to himself. After all, it was Rivaille who had the most proximate idea of how Irvin planned with one step ahead.

"Recently, I received a report saying that our forces may have found a _library _among the southern regions." Commander Irvin said as the two of them took the left hallway. "It might be presumptuous to think, but our advanced scouts are saying that the southern districts actually managed to procure a collection of books after walling out the titans one hundred years ago." He maintained. "All of us know how the Imperial Government restricted the people in collecting books and any _unchecked _materials." Commander Irvin shared, in an attempt to pique Rivaille's attention.

"And I guess we haven't found the exact location of this library," Rivaille said in monotone. But it was enough for Irvin to understand that the corporal's interest was already in motion. "But it's enough for us to know. Searching the whole territory not knowing where to look is a clear waste of our time and resources." He told the commander of the Scouting Legion. "So it just means that we are still going to narrow down our efforts towards the liberation of the southern districts," he stated, not in question but clearly an account of his deduction.

Commander Irvin only eyed Lance Corporal Rivaille. Perhaps it was already a fact that needed no stating, but he needed to be careful in whisking out unnecessary information. Upon reaching a huge, wooden double-swing door, Commander Irvin nodded at the guard stationed by the portals. The guard saluted first before he opened it for both Irvin and Rivaille. "We need to be '_careful'_ in that regard." Commander Irvin only answered after he walked past the guard and settled inside the room. Corporal Rivaille was suddenly made aware of the _subtle_ secrecy and gave a silent remark back at his commander.

Taking the seat placed by the center of the room, Commander Irvin only held his head straight forward. "Though the Imperial Government has disclosed portions of our history a hundred years back, some of our archivists in the background are saying that there are _missing_ portions in the details given to us and the public." He continued to speak though he did not even face Rivaille that time. The corporal only approached the wall and leaned on it, folding his arms across his chest as he listened to Commander Irvin's words. "It's amusing to find that we are clueless in regards to our history as we are ill-informed with the titans."

"History is irrelevant." Rivaille said. "As long as we discover the most important things right now, then there is no problem in the long run." He added. "After all, most of the history that we know are probably just _lies_."

"But even lies are _realities_." Commander Irvine retorted. "Perhaps we are being misled. But wouldn't that make you ask the question _why _are we being misled?" He raised. "Was it just their mistake? Was it because they were just ignorant to begin with? Or was it all because we are _purposely _being misled?"

Lance Corporal Rivaille was silent. In that regard, he wanted to make a reply. But he didn't want to invite any unimportant topics of discussion anymore. Just being reeled into an issue was already too much for the Scouting Legion and actually starting a catfight with the Stationary Guards was an additional pain for all of them to bear. And, sometimes, the way Commander Irvin thought was on a much higher level, of an intellect that might have brought him to _danger_ in the first place. With that, Rivaille only kept his mouth shut.

"There is a reason why the Imperial Government considered some books to be taboo. You wouldn't restrict a child from playing fire because you simply want to; there had to be an important reason." He continued to speak, although his voice started to dampen as well. "But perhaps, the Government wasn't really wrong when they said those books are not to be read at all." He said as the person behind the bars inside the room started to stir, finally escaping from the three long days of sleep. "After I read the missing portions of _The Three Glorious Donna_, I know I have lost some portion of my own _humanity_…"

And then he and Rivaille watched as Eren Jaeger, member of the 104th Squad and brandished as a titan as well, woke up from catalepsy. They remained silent for a while, observing how the teen opened his eyes slowly, with pupils still blank as if empty of life. And when he somehow gained cognition, Commander Irvin quickly took the opportunity to snatch Eren's attention to him.

"You spent three days in a coma, only to awake now?" Commander Irvin said in a stern voice. "Eren, do you have any questions?" He started to ask…

* * *

_Peakuwa atmer. Obgero luyisnni legroniye…_

Since when was the last night that Armin wasn't plagued by the nightmares of the death of everyone around him? Though he had no direct involvement in their demise, Armin still felt that he as guilty as the titans who caused everyone's loss. His heart was heavy, as if he was carrying inside it the souls of the multitude that sacrificed themselves during that day when they retook Trost from the titans. Even if he did not will it in that very day, the implication was a spear that impaled him squarely on his chest.

_Obgero luyisnni legroniye…_

But this night was different. There had been no haunting. There had been no images of people with their limbs torn apart. There had been no images of those who were haplessly calling out for help. The night was calm; his dreams weren't bothering him. There was a warm sensation that surrounded his body, soothing him of the worries that had built up inside him. He even wished that time that he didn't want to wake up anymore. He was too tired to suffer all the sadness and anger and frustration around him, too tired to fear the impending loss of his dear _friends_—

_Peakuwa atmer!_

_Eren!_ He yelled in thought. And, at the same time, his lids flapped open, daylight quickly flooding his vision. Eren batted his eyes closed as the sudden stream of light blinded him and opened them up as soon as he recovered from the sudden flash. He looked around him and quickly realized that he was back at _that_ place again. Armin tried to move and he was stunned when he discovered that the warm sensation that blanketed him during his sleep was in fact the hands of a titan that held him back then.

Armin was clearly shocked that his body stilled instead of squirming out of the titan's grasps. He could only stare up to the titan's face – one who showed a clearly amused and delighted expression – as it moved about with its massive feet, easily crushing the ground beneath it. _This is only an illusion_, Armin reasoned, just to calm himself down. _This is not real. This is only another nightmare_… he continued to state in his head, as he tried to make sense of whatever he was seeing. Slowly, as his eyes started to look a little calmer, Armin noticed the same bright red-colored smoke that rose up the sky.

_The titan is walking towards that location?_ He quickly thought. Though it had been days ago since he had this 'vision', Armin remembered what Isvenn told him that time. The red smoke meant that his family was calling for him in a very _weird _way. And if the titan was walking towards that direction, then it meant harm to whoever was living in that area. _I've got to do something!_ Armin said to himself. _I don't want to see more deaths anymore! _He steeled himself and tried to shake himself away from the titan's hold.

But as he did so, he felt that the titan's fingers only crept tighter around his body. Armin's eyes were wide when the titan looked down on its hand and saw that the blond teen was awake. But instead of doing anything, the titan only shared the same enchanted expression that was plastered on its face and sped its way towards the source of the red smoke. Armin was frightened and confused at the same time. And then he finally noticed. If he had been the titan's first target, then why was he still alive? _It should have eaten me already. But why is it holding on to me instead? _He could only ask himself after realizing that escaping from the grasp was absolutely out of the question. But his fears only ripened when he saw a nearby house standing near the path where the titan walked.

And then a child came out of the house…

Perhaps it was because of the tremor that caught the attention of whoever was living inside the house. But Armin had no time to wonder about them when a child just presented himself before the very titan. Strengthening his resolve once again, Armin tried to wriggle out of the titan's hands.

"Look!" The child yelled out excitedly. "Look, mom! A _titan_!"

Armin stilled after hearing that. _What?_ He could only say in mind. _This is not the time to get excited! Get the hell out of there, kid! Titans do not care about who they feast on! Please, save yourself! Move!_ And then Armin continued to struggle from the large hands. Kicking himself free from the grasp, Armin jumped, ignoring the possible injury he might get from falling from a height of nearly ten meters. But even before he fell halfway, a swooshing sound roared around the air. Armin was captured yet again when the titan caught with its other hand. Armin was frightened with how agile the titan was and, clearly, it was sporting a near-human intelligence at that point. He could only stare at the child – who was still mesmerized by the titan – as he felt how he was going to see someone die because of his failures.

"_Andrew_, don't disturb the titan." A feminine voice spoke from behind the child. A woman clad in the common attire dropped her hands on the child's shoulders. "You shouldn't be interrupt them when they're doing some _work_."

"But mom! I don't get to see the titans _this _close!" He gestured the distance with his little hands, comparing it to what he had probably seen before. "_Lookie_! This one is really big! The one I always see is only half of this one!" He continued to say, marveling on the huge titan that stood in front of the house. "Hello, titan-san!" The child yelled out, waving his hands at the same time. "It's nice to meet you, titan-san! It's only first time I see you!" He giggled. "Do you have a name?"

But the titan only looked down at the child. Tears had already welled upon his eyes that time, as Armin planted his gaze back at the titan. He wanted to help the family – he really do – but knowing the terrible power the titan possessed, in the end he wouldn't be able to do anything but watch as the titan take their lives away. And then he was pulled out of his thoughts when the titan's nape area brimmed with the same vapor that one could make if a titan was wounded or was killed on spot.

Armin's only gasped when he saw a human outline that came out from the titan's nape. And even before the vapor vanished, the human stepped out from the steam that silhouetted him. Armin could not mutter anything when he realized that it was _that _person who had just appeared from inside the titan. A person who Armin compared to Eren at first sight, the same person that had appeared with him in this vision for thrice already. As the person jumped and landed on the titan's shoulder, Armin could only watch and hear the next set of words that would forever _haunt_ him.

"_Corporal Isvenn Sylverrone de Mirreaun_ reporting for duty!" The person saluted first before he looked down at the child and the mother. "Hello, Andrew," he smiled at the kid, remembering how the mother called him. "You're lucky that I'm not in a serious mission, or I'll _eat _ya!" He said aloud, which made Andrew giggle at the joke. "And don't worry, ma'am. Though our duty is of grave importance, I assure you that we also try our best to look up on every citizen's welfare – like little Andrew's _enjoyment_." He said before saluting once more. "I shall go ahead then. As the Kingdom's _guardians_, we, the Mirreaun Family, shall forever protect you until the end!"

After he said that, Isvenn looked at Armin who was still clasped by the titan's hands. "You nearly fell." He said. "And why are you looking at me like that, _Miccaello_?"

* * *

- **End of Third Tale** -


	4. Fourth Tale: Ilse's Notebook

******Warning**: Increasing rating.

* * *

**Fourth Tale: **_**Ilse's Notebook**_

* * *

—_6-meter class, didn't devour me right away. A deviant…? My last moments are here. This is it for me. And all I did in life was acting selfish… I haven't even done anything for my parents who took great pains raising me. My last moments are here. This is it for me._

_ Disgusting… It's all about to end now._

_ It's talking… A titan's talking… Unbelievable… It uttered meaningful words… It said, 'Ymir's people', 'Ymir-sama' and 'Great'. I'm sure I heard right. The expression on the titan's face changed. It's bowing its head before me, seemingly in a show of respect… I can't believe it. This is probably the first time in the human history when something like that happened…_

_ I have established communication with a titan…_

_ I asked the titan about their kind. It's only groaning now. It's not speaking any words anymore… I'll try asking it about its place of origin… It's not answering. I asked it about their objectives…_

**. . . . . . . . .**

Armin ran as fast as his legs could take him. He didn't know where he was but he exactly knew that he was at the titans' mercy. A while ago he had seen the mutilated bodies of soldiers he discovered to be members of the Scouting Legion, a warning enough to send him into fright. The air around him was permeated with the metallic stench of blood, while the ground was still warm with the oozing red fluid that painted the earth crimson. Armin's eyes darted around and searched for an immediate exit. The end was about to meet him if he remained. Armin would end up like the helpless soldiers if he didn't go.

And so he sped, ignoring the twigs and branches that lashed him as he ran into the forest. He hoped that the trees would suffice as cover, a chance that he himself had no confidence with. The three- and four-meter class titans could still roam inside the forest freely, since they could fit inside the columns the huge tree trunks made. And there were still the possibility that an abnormal titan might appear inside the dense of green, knowing that there was no exact way to predict how it acted. Armin thought of this as he dashed to safety, caring no more as how the sharp ends of the plants blemished his skin with cuts and wounds.

The three-dimensional maneuver gear he carried had just been rendered useless not too long ago. Armin had to purge him of the equipment lest he wanted some additional burden. And though he armed himself with the remaining blades, Armin was still drowning in fear and terror as he ran for his life. His hands shook as he placed it near the swords' handle. He didn't want to die in this place. He didn't want for Eren and Mikasa worry over him. If there was one thing that he could do to assure his closest friends' safety, then it was for him to make sure that he remained alive to guide and see them.

But he knew he was powerless even against a single titan, even now that he had no gear to improve his agility. His will to live waxed and waned, his insecurities dampening even that small hope that rested inside his heart. It was difficult for him to decide, despite having his surest hope to live. He wanted – he was _longing_ – to live and be together with the people he most trusted, but he never knew how exactly he was going to do that. It was one of his greatest fears. For someone like Armin who could steer his mind to find the most logical of answers, being trapped against a wall of _indecision_ was a death sentence. He was bound to snap if he could not think straight; he was bound to be broken if he could not think of the way for him to act. And in their life as soldiers, one single decision could end the very threads of their life…

"_Why does your kind eat us?_" Armin heard in the middle of his steps. He was surprised to know that someone else was around – _alive_ – and it gave him a small but still significant dose of faith. He skidded as he tried to slow down, using the huge tree trunks as his immediate cover. With his small form, Armin was sure that he could easily hide from the titan's visions. He knew he was near the location where he heard the voice – it sounded feminine – and started to look around, leaning heavily against the trunk. His eyes were wide in surprise when he saw a female soldier directly in front of a titan.

"_Usss… Usss… Uss…_" There was a deep-toned groan that followed after the female's question. There was no doubt that it was the six-meter titan that was making the noise. Armin whipped his eyes at the titan in question, seeing that it was starting to pull the skin around its face. It continued to moan, but Armin wondered if it was actually speaking some understandable words. How the titan groaned '_usss_' made the hair on Armin's skin stand. The titan was not merely gurgling some incomprehensible sounds; it was trying to communicate.

"_Why do you have to eat us?!_" The female screeched, surprising Armin. In that manner, Armin thought that she would be rousing the titan to become aggressive; she was even lucky that the titan only beheld her like a seeming spectacle. "_You don't even need anything to sustain your lives! Why do you still eat us then?! Your kind is just senseless, worthless lumps of flesh!_" She continued to shout, remarking all of her anger towards the monster known as a titan. "_Get lost from this world!_" She said... as last of her words.

In a moment's time, the woman only stared at the titan which appeared as if ripping out the skin around its eyes. Areas near its lids started to rip slowly, small gushes of blood starting to drip over its skins, vapors already escaping from the dents of flesh. Armin watched as the female stood mortified, who ran afterwards. Armin knew he had to stop her, since what she was doing was clearly a deathtrap. Running amok and letting her fear drive her was not best thing to do. As she sprinted to get away from the titan she yelled at, the same titan immediately snatched her back.

Armin quickly stopped upon seeing another nightmare happen before his very eyes. His knees shook as he beheld the scene in front of him. If there was a chance, then it was exactly the time for him to move. It was already foolish of him to decide to run. Losing the three-dimensional maneuver gear was already an impending death sentence in the first place. Even if he used the moment to escape – using the time when the titan was still distracted on its meal – Armin knew he would only meet the same end in the near future. He gripped on his sword tighter and—

The eyes of the titan were on him. Armin suddenly fell in fear and despair as its eyes lingered over him. He felt weak as soon, and was unable to approach to help the soldier. As stillness took over Armin's whole body, the titan only took the chance to eat the female. The crunching sound of bones and skin being gnawed on was the only sign that her head was bitten off from her body. The sounds of ligaments and tendons ripping sent shivers to Armin, sent him the living nightmares deep in his mind. Blood dripped from the titan's mouth as he devoured the female, random muscles and organs flinging away from its lips. And soon after it finished its meal, the titan turned to Armin.

But Armin was still powerless up to that point. He only watched as the titan approached him and—

"_Ymir-sama…_" It breathed towards Armin, stink of blood reeking all over the blond teen's form. "_No… not… g-grrreaterrr… isss… is…_" The titan even stooped down lower to give a look at Armin. "Ysmir_-sama is… _Ysmir_-samaaaa issss grrreeaaaterrr…_" The titan moaned. "Ysmir_-sama is… _true…" The titan soon stopped and immediately reached over to Armin, its hands—

* * *

—hands clinging on his shoulders.

Armin jolted as if waken up from a dream. He immediately grabbed the arms that gripped him, trying to tear free from the clasps. But as soon as his vision cleared and his mind straightened, Armin realized that it was not a titan but a human who had grabbed hold of him. He instantly seized struggling and kicking his feet. His expression shifting from clearly surprised look into a reluctant countenance, Armin could only look in slight shame as he recognized the figure who now stood before him. Armin tried to stand from the chair but he was shoved back on it.

"According to military protocols, you should be immediately sent into the dungeons for trespassing a valuable office of one of the military branches." The person said strongly, making Armin cringed at the clear sound of warning and reprimand that laced with the tone. Armin stared back at the owner of the strong russet irises that glowered back at him, eyes that were as if staring down at his very soul. The blond teen gulped as the person who he just _indirectly _disrespected slowly moved to his side, still ogling at him as if a prey that needed to be taken out as soon.

"But that is merely protocol. It's really difficult to understand the 'what ifs' and the consequences written in the standards," the person just said, shrugging _her _shoulder in the process. "But I do expect that you know that you aren't supposed to be _her_e."_ She _added, trading _her_ eyes back to Armin. But Armin understood how _she_ just noted _her_ words, easily discerning that this person – this woman – was not exactly a textbook soldier as _she_ first sounded. T_her_e was a different thing about _her_, but Armin couldn't exactly point out what. "Do you?" _She_ only added.

Armin opened his mouth but was only able to say some silent words. He was still at lost at that point, still confused about the _vision_ he just had. All of a sudden, the memory of what he had experienced just before he was startled to consciousness descended over his mind, pain starting to collect on his head. He attempted to speak for the second time. "_I don't know_," he said, softer than he anticipated. This only made the woman in front of him raise an eyebrow, perhaps hearing Armin wrong or not really hearing him at all. "I don't know that we're off limits to this place." Armin repeated, making the female look at him curiously.

"Really?" She only muttered as she noticed a small leather-bound notebook resting near Armin's foot. She immediately knelt in front of him – which made Armin jump from the suddenness – and picked up the said item. Upon closer inspection, the woman made an expression that said that she knew what exactly it was – of what exactly was written in it. She tucked in under her arm as she stood up and looked at Armin once more. "But I don't suppose you know me?"

"I know you," Armin said, stuttering a little bit. "You're _Hanji_-san from the Scouting Legion." He answered.

Hanji made an 'oh' expression with her mouth. "That's a surprise." She remarked.

"My friend and I have been kept inside the headquarters for some time already," Armin responded. "I often see members of Scouting Legions getting in out of this building." He explained, making Hanji nod at him in understanding. "I'm sorry for intruding, ma'am." Armin said in a stronger voice and bowed at Hanji. "I don't really mean to infringe on the Scouting Legion's materials!" He added, his tone denoting his apology over the matter.

"I don't really mind." Hanji said, waving her hands casually at Armin. "After all, I'm much more interested in studying titans than putting a fellow soldier in jail just for some odd reason," she said. She took the notebook and placed it inside the drawer of the table resting by the center of the room. She kept a wary glance back at the blond as she did so, and noticed that even the teen was giving her the same look she was giving him. She couldn't help but smile a little, yet she did her best to hide her amusement. "But it's even more surprising to see yah _sleeping_ in here,"

Armin's cheek's suddenly reddened. "No…" He scratched his face unconsciously. "I-I mean, I don't mean to sleep here. I was only wandering around. I did not even know that I have fallen asleep inside this room." After he said that, even he was suddenly curious as to why he ended up in that room. He was honest when he said he was walking around, but he did not even have any reminiscence of wandering far off into that place. "Perhaps it was just me. I've not been sleeping quite enough these days," Armin only said, putting aside his question for the moment.

"I see," Hanji muttered, eyes suddenly flicking by the door. "Before I ask you to leave for the _trial_, I need to know if you read the notebook that I just picked up from the floor." She asked, slowly putting her pupils back at the blond. He saw how Armin's face twisted into an expression of enlightenment, which instantly shifted into that of curiosity and fear. Whatever was bothering him, somehow, Hanji had an idea of. "It's a matter of importance. And its contents are extraordinary." She twisted and approached the door. Hanji leaned over the wall beside the wooden portal, still observing the blue-eyed teen. "It was a notebook owned by one of our fellow soldiers. Her name is _Ilse Langer_, member of last year's expedition." She explained. "It is unfortunate, but even though we found her journal, we did not even see her – or her _body_." She continued, her eyes glazed as she looked at Armin. "What was written in her notebook was an amazing discovery. Technically, it fueled me to pursue my research even more about the titans. Because of her—"

"_Is she the one with the freckled face, with oval eyes and black hair that reached down her shoulders?_" Armin said. But at the softness of his voice, it seemed that it was far from a legitimate question, only a remark he only intended for himself. But Hanji was surprised – more than _surprised_ – upon hearing it from Armin. She did not let it show on her face, but it was enough to entice her interest. She zipped her lips shut as she continued to watch Armin. "I-I'm sorry," Armin only said. "I was only wondering… I also saw some records of the _Scouting Legion_ inside this office," he reasoned.

"Is that so?" Hanji only said. "Well, it seems that keeping you here only spills up more secrets than necessary, huh?" She remarked, suddenly smiling warm and big towards Armin, which confused him as soon. "Please keep everything that you've read right now to yourself. You know that your friend's trial is going to happen minutes from now." She said as she approached Armin and pushed on his shoulders, driving him away towards the door. But as Armin looked confusedly back at her and at the same time reaching out for the knob, the door opened and revealed another person.

"Hanji," his deep and serious tone blast towards her and Armin. "What are you still doing here?" He asked and planted his pointed gaze down at Armin. His eyes held no touch of emotions, and it offered Armin nothing but cold and steely reservations. The blond recoiled at those pupils that seemingly bore holes to his body as he was stared upon. Though the other person did not pull his gaze away from Armin, he continued to speak at Hanji. "Go now and fetch the _kid_." He said.

"_Hai_, _hai_," Hanji groaned and pressed Armin forward again. "Go now. The Military Police might be looking for you already." She said to Armin. The blond straightened himself first before he gave a salute back at Hanji and the person who reprimanded her. He marched away from the office and sped his way back to the room where he and Mikasa were being held. The two only watched the blond as he ran ahead, silent words starting to flow out from them as questions stirred their very mind. After a final glance, Hanji lastly turned and saw that the other person was already looking at her.

"For a clean-freak like you, you should have placed your stuff where it shouldn't be seen, Rivaille." Hanji just greeted, after remarking the gaze given to her. "I know you heard some, but I'll talk about the rest after the trial." She only said to him as Hanji started to walk away from him. "I'll just be escorting the kid into the courtroom, right?" She asked in suppressed hilarity, making Rivaille look at her condescendingly. Hanji finally turned away and continued on her merry way to her destination.

However, Rivaille was only silent as he thought about what he _heard_.

* * *

Armin saw how surprised Eren was after he saw him and Mikasa standing over the witnesses' chamber. Even though he wanted to assure his friend that things would end up all right, he couldn't. He didn't want to lie to Eren. He was one of the two people that he wouldn't want to lie to. After all the trust and faith and loyalty that he had invested on Armin, he could not give Eren any _false_ reassurances. The heavens even knew that even though how much he wanted to save his friend right now, he couldn't simply resist against the words of humanity's military officers. And even if he offer his life for Eren's safety, what was one life against the bludgeoning number of soldiers that the military could spend at an instant? Life was not for gambling, but it was the greatest tool Armin had discovered. He had bet his life just to save Eren and Mikasa, a bet that Commander Pixis fortunately agreed on. But right now was a different circumstance, a situation that was far less serious than before, a state wherein Eren's life could be forfeited because of simple and _irrelevant _matters alone.

Of course, it was not surprising to find the courtroom to be filled with people whose purpose was eradicating Eren from existence. The Military Police was trying to be neutral, although their position about it was already obvious. Coupled with the sect that gained fame during the last five years and the conservative arm of the aristocrats, it seemed that the majority of the people inside the room was deeming for Eren's death – something that frightened Armin and irritated Mikasa. The words from Pastor Nick was strong but highly immaterial, something that only lengthened the whole process. His inclusion in the trial only drove the civilian minority to point accusingly at Eren. Armin, Eren and Mikasa would have ignored his words, but it was the past that Armin and Mikasa shared that made the trio stood at a dais of doubt and confusion.

"He's a titan that took shape of a child to mingle with us." One of the conservatives said. "But he failed to hide his violent colors in the end."

"We don't have time to debate about what to do with him." Another terrified voice sounded from the same group. "We don't know when this guy's gonna go berserk on us… He's like a powder magazine, ready to explode any moment…"

Armin only looked disapprovingly at the group of the horrified aristocrats. Reason was clouded when one was frightened; Captain Felman of the Military Police was already proof of that. But it was also the same fear that tainted the others to think the same, a disease that would spread amongst the people. Human beings, since the beginning, had fed each other fear, and shared that same fear with one another. With fear, they were bound to do the same, were bound to _think_ the same. And with that fear came the most pitiful of decisions, the most unacceptable of choices. It was how fear worked. And with how the titans picked off on the last vestiges of humankind, fear was one entity that foreshadowed humanity's doom.

"That goes for her, too." An accusing finger was finally pointed at Mikasa. "I have my doubts about her being human."

Perhaps it was the final straw for Eren. Armin only closed his eyes as he understood well that these pitiful excuses for humans were picking on Eren and Mikasa because of their fear. He was so saddened and afraid that their judgment was clouded, that the trial would end up against Eren.

"I may be a _monster_, but Mikasa has nothing to do with that!" Finally, Eren answered, which made Armin look at him.

And pain coursed through his head once more. He immediately clutched on his head, but tried his best not to show that he was in pain. Mikasa stirred beside him, noticing how Armin backed off some few steps. But Armin only ignored her as his vision started to break, the image before him twisting into different colors and form. _What the hell is happening…? _He only asked as he tried to focus at Eren. _Eren… please be s-strong_...

**. . . . . . . . .**

"I may be a monster, but _Leah_ has nothing to do with that!" Isvenn yelled, his voice clearly conveying his anger. He turned his head around, looking at the faces of the adults around him. Isvenn fisted his right hand, as if ready to swing it at the faces that looked at him with disappointment. "You are all taking this the wrong way!" Isvenn added, his voice still strong despite the obvious wreck that he was at that time. Clothes torn, skin bathed in crimson, wounds pounding his skin, Isvenn looked as if a warrior that had just been through war. "This is all a misunderstanding!"

The bearded man, the one who stood tallest among the adults, stepped forward and looked back at Isvenn menacingly. Isvenn winced at the eye contact, but steeled himself and showed that he was not frightened of him. "A _misunderstanding_ is what that makes it wrong, Isvenn." He said. The air around them seemed to rattle as he spoke. "If it hadn't been a misunderstanding, then things would have progressed smoothly, whether you have to intervene or not." He just said, chiding Isvenn in a much calmer yet strong voice.

"But _she_ was only trying to help!" Isvenn reasoned. "And _she_ assisted me in helping those who are in need!" He continued, placing his hand on his chest. Isvenn's expression was a mix of sadness and confusion and anger. It seemed that even he had no idea of what he must feel that time. But the obvious thing about Leah – the woman who helped him – was focusing Isvenn's thoughts _against _the elders who were now confronting him. He didn't know what _truly _happened, but he knew it was only for the benefit of the people.

"What she did was to help you become a _monster _you claim to be yourself," the bearded man answered. Isvenn's eyes were wide in horror upon hearing that statement. He only stared at the older male in silence, asking him to explain the incident which he was involved with. The man scoffed at Isvenn, grunting some unintelligible words before addressing the teen once more. "Of course you did not know. It was bound to happen. The sooner you give in to your emotions, the sooner you are doomed to be destroyed." He just said. He took a step back and reformed the line that surrounded Isvenn.

Armin watched through bleary eyes. He knew he wasn't supposed to be there, but he also knew that it was the vision about Isvenn. And though he swore he didn't want to see it again because he wanted to discover what would happen to Eren, the exact sameness of the vision he had and that of Eren was strikingly similar. Instead of asking what was going on, he only listened and shut his mouth close. The reason he kept on comparing Isvenn to Eren he did not truly know, but remembering how Isvenn appeared from the titan's nape made him comprehend that he was perhaps similar to Eren in that manner – that he, too, was a human capable of becoming a _titan_. But that one big questioned loom, and Armin knew that there was something wrong with it, something—

"I pity you, Isvenn." The bearded man continued to speak. "You know your duties well, but, in the end, you chose to desecrate what you bound yourself to. And you call yourself a _Mirreaun_?" The man asked. "Perhaps you won't mind then being called a _monster_. You are a _titan_, yet you couldn't even protect _humanity_!"

Isvenn looked angrily at the bearded man, though the adults together with him did not look bothered with his expression. Isvenn's eyes clearly brimmed with wrath and pain. "Then why the hell did you choose me to become this kingdom's guardian?" He said softly at first. "Why the _fuck_ did you even let me train just in order to protect humanity?! Of course I know what I need to do! Of course I accepted because that is the only thing I want to do! That's why I don't need you telling me that—"

Another male dashed from the circle and kicked Isvenn on his face—

**. . . . . . . . .**

—face, sending Eren's head whipping to his side and dislodging a tooth at the same time.

Armin watched in horror as Corporal Rivaille of the Scouting Legion sent another hit against Eren and then kneeing him afterwards. It had been brutal, and if not for Eren being tied to that bar, he would have been sent lithering against the cold floor of the courtroom. But despite his worry for Eren, Armin's hands first reached out to Mikasa, who was already prepared to save Eren from the relentless assault.

But as Armin became aware that he was back to reality, his hold to Mikasa soon faltered. A burning pain seared on his head once more, making him kneel down in agony. Slowly, he knew that his visions were not making any sense anymore. He was beginning to assume that everything was a rubble – his mind was breaking down because of the intensity of the events that happened before him. Before he realized that he was slowly being pulled into the world of darkness, he heard Mikasa and Eren's voice yelled for him. And then his eyes closed.

He was surrounded by darkness.

* * *

Squad leader Hanji Zoe and Lance Corporal Rivaille stayed outside the room, now awaiting for Commander Irvin Smith to get out and meet them. The two basked in silence as they waited for him, a stillness that the two did not even mind. Whatever Hanji was going to report, it was surely bound to be noteworthy, as even Rivaille was sure that it was something significant. Though he hadn't heard the whole thing minutes ago, the last part was enough for him to realize its importance to the Scouting Legion. And if he understood correct, then Hanji was referring to—

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Commander Irvin apologized as soon as he revealed himself from the door. Hanji and Rivaille managed to sneak a glance at the opening, seeing that Eren was finally silent while on the couch. Irvin Smith, however, closed the door promptly, taking the two's attention away from the boy at their disposal. "Eren has finally calmed down." He said next. "It took a lot of reassuring to soothe him." His pupils flicked at the direction of the room. "But thanks to it, we are able to persuade the Generalissimo for now."

"I heard that Eren and the blond were friends way back their childhood," Rivaille just noted. "But I didn't expect his reaction to go extreme. If I hadn't trusted his personality, I would have cut him down that instant." He just said, hinting no semblance of remorse on his tone.

"According to the medics, Armin just lost consciousness due to extreme exhaustion." Hanji picked off on where Rivaille ended, erasing away the awkward atmosphere the corporal had created. "I'm also surprised that even their female friend acted protective like Eren after Armin just dropped lifelessly back in the courtroom." She said. "But, like what Commander Irvin said, it's because of that incident that we're able to buy some time for the Scouting Legion." She added and then looked at Rivaille. "Not to mention Rivaille's sudden intervention lately," she chuckled softly at the shorter male.

"Generalissimo Dallis is a reasonable man." Commander Irvin stated in response. "And though he's not a real lackey of any branches, I know he upholds some sense concerning the military in general." He said. "I have hopes that in one way or another he would accede to our request to bring out Eren and use him outside." He told them. "Anyway, I heard from Rivaille that you have something to tell me, Hanji."

"_Hai_," Hanji affirmed. "Actually, it's about the same recruit that caused the commotion lately, the blond one." Commander Irvin raised a brow at that, but his general gesture only signaled Hanji to continue. "Before I escorted Eren to the courtroom, I first went to check on the other office inside the headquarters. I saw Armin inside." She said, looking at Rivaille at the sides of her eyes, before she swung it back to Irvin. "When I entered, I saw him reading Ilse's notebook, the one Rivaille discovered in the remnants of the 34th expedition."

Rivaille crossed his arms, sending an inquisitive gaze at Hanji. "Back then, you purposely approached the door because you knew that I was already standing outside the room." He said at first. "But I was sure you said that the blond was _sleeping_ when you saw him." He finally stated, as the obvious question appeared to him.

"He wasn't," Hanji answered. "The point is that he hadn't even noticed me when I walked further inside." She looked worriedly at Commander Irvin. "It didn't even look like he was reading. He was just staring at the notebook and muttered some words that I don't _understand_." She saw the confused expressions given to him by the commander and the corporal. "When I shook him, it seemed that I had only waken him up from slumber. I soon realized that he didn't even know he was inside the office in the first place. That's why I told him that I saw him sleeping." She explained to the two officers of the Scouting Legion. "Even though he said it in whisper, I clearly heard how he described _Ilse Langer_." She added.

At that point, Lance Corporal Rivaille's eyes were wide in realization. Commander Irvin Smith noted it and sent his vision down to the shorter officer. "He reasoned that he saw the records inside the office, but—"

"The Military Police only lent us the office temporarily." Hanji cut him off. "We might be bringing some important documents like Ilse's notebook, but we have no need to bring the information pertaining to the previous members of the Scouting Legion." She said. "I know he was bluffing at that point, but I let him slide for a while. The most important thing I want to report is about _The Three Glorious Donna_." She then turned to Irvin that point. "Commander, you said you've read the missing parts of the poem.

"Yes," Commander Irvin nodded. "But it's still technically forbidden for others to know about it." He said. "What do you want to know?"

Hanji looked back at him. "Are the missing lines of the poem written in a _different _language?"

Commander Irvin Smith wore a surprised expression. "How did you know?"

"When I entered the room, Armin was speaking in a steady rate. I tried to listen closely, but I only managed to hear the last verse of the poem. Then I discovered that it was _The Three Glorious Donna_. But he went on speaking. There were lines that I never knew; lines that I did not even understand." She finally explained. "Commander, I think Armin has read the same _text_ that we are trying to look for." She stated her hypothesis to the commander. Commander Irvin was silent at first, seemingly trying to digest the information that Hanji had just relayed to him. The sign of disbelief was clearly written on his face, but it was also obvious that he was considering it as well.

"Perhaps that is possible," Commander Irvin just said, looking at Rivaille at the same time. "It's possible that someone else had found _priority two_. We'll not treat it as a conclusive evidence, but at least we're going to initiate an _investigation_ about that kid." He said. "As long as you can, keep some tabs on the kid, Hanji." The commander said when he faced her. "It might be really interesting if it turns out that the kid did read the _secret book_."

* * *

- **End of Fourth Tale** -


	5. Fifth Tale: First Unseen Memories

**Warning**: Increasing rating.

Special double-chapter post (**1**/**2**)

* * *

**Fifth Tale: **_**Memories not seen before  
**_**Part 1 – **_**The Secret Mission**_

* * *

_"Dad! Please stop, Dad!" Eren struggled hard. But his father overpowered him still. He kicked hard as he pushed his father away from him, slapping his larger hands away from his arms. His eyes bled with tears as confusion, sadness and fear flooded inside him. "What are you trying to do?!" He yelled to him at the same time, pleading him to stop scaring him._

_ "Just give me your hand!" He ordered Eren. Despite the tears that flowed out from his eyes, Grisha continued to pull his son's arms closer to him. He directed the needle of the syringe down at Eren's skin, looking at his son with both melancholy and hopelessness._

_ "No!" Eren resisted, flinging his arm far from his father. "You've been acting all weird since Mom died!" He said, looking at his father like he was a crazed person. But even though how much he thrashed around, his father appeared resolute. He felt the cold and sharp sensation of the needle piercing his skin, the cold touch of the metal felt like acid burning his very flesh. And when he felt that the fluid began to rush inside his veins. He felt his head throbbed in pain immediately._

_ "Their _memories_ will show you how to use it! If you want to save Mikasa and Armin, you've got take control of his power yourself! Don't rely on the power of the _atmer_! Use it yourself!" Grisha said as he continuous pushed the serum inside Eren's body. "Don't forget the key! But until then—"_

* * *

"I'm sorry I had to pull you out." Commander Irvin said, looking at Jean, face flushed and looking a little bit apprehensive. Commander Irvin noted his expression, though he did not say anything to soothe the brimming worry that coated the younger male's face. After all, the Scouting Legion had only finished recruiting new members. And after his particular speech, there was no wondering that everyone was more than anxious than they were supposed to be. "But I can say that this is part of your duties as a new member of the Scouting Legion." He said.

"Yes, sir." Jean answered, his voice leveled and neutral. If he had the luxury of time, Irvin would have placed his interest to the man sitting in front of him. It was already reported to them that the graduates from the 104th Squad were special in their ways; Eren was the prime example as to how different their batch was. But Commander Irvin remained silent as he traced the curves that outlined his face, knowing that he was going to say something more. "I should have expected something near this." Jean remarked. Commander nodded once; as he thought, the young man was bound to say more.

"It's unfortunate that we are short in number for this year." Irvin just said, part-addressing and part-waving off the slight concern that the light auburn-haired man conveyed. "But we will go on as long as we have the people who are still loyal to the cause of retaking what humankind has lost." He maintained, placing those normally inexpressive eyes towards the younger male. "Or at least having the soldiers who are not _half-hearted_ in their chosen decision," That particularly wary gaze never left him, focus clearly over the younger male. It seemed that Hanji had taken note of the overly distinguished statement, snickering with a stifled chuckle in the process.

But Jean had been obviously caught; his face stiffened after hearing those words. _He is not referring to me, is he? _He only asked, shooting up a stare at the Scouting Legion's commander. _I have decided this myself. I have no need to feel guilty. _He reasoned to himself, trying his best to wipe away the distress that descended over him. _I'm just a fool who's trying to live. I'm trying to live yet what I choose in the end is_—he shook his head slightly. "It's not a worthy choice to choose what we never wanted." He said in the same nervous tone.

"But there are times that we have to make the same decision without regards to what we really wanted." Commander Irvin retorted, inviting the silent attention of Hanji nearby. The woman clearly wore an amused expression, which Irvin easily understood. "We may have the choices, but there are times that our will is not enough to satisfy those options." He just added after whipping his eyes away from the woman. "But the important point is that one can settle for how he has made that decision." He finally ended.

Jean didn't know what he would say. Upon that second when he stepped inside the offices of the Scouting Legion, he had a feeling that a meeting with one of the top officers of the particular military branch might ensue. Though he didn't really expect it to be Commander Irvin himself, Jean was slightly appeased that his guess was correct. However, the substance of the older male's words was too much for him to handle that moment. He had just went through one of the toughest decisions in his life; his thoughts were still muddled up to that point. Unable to say anything from his lips, Jean only held his head forward, appearing faintly frightened.

"Well, since I called you in for some other purpose, I think we can set aside this matter for now." Commander Irvin finally said, somewhat allowing Jean to exhale the air that he had held during the serious exchange. "You have a good track record. According to your grades, you have performed extremely well during your three-year training." The blond man just said, remembering the quick details that they got about the 104th squad. "And, because of that, I believe that you will be well suited for a special task that I want to be done." He informed Jean, who started to look confused.

"But, sir," Jean quickly protested, even standing up from his chair in the process, though the stern look from the Scouting Legion's commander easily made him quiet down. Slowly picking up the chair behind him, Jean continued to speak in a hushed tone. "I may be part of the top ten of our class, but I'm not as good as Mikasa Ackerman or Reiner Braun." He said, telling Commander Irvin what was in his mind that time. "Even Eren ranked better than me during our graduation," he added, his lips tugging down into a small but noticeable frown.

"Do you think that the value of one soldier is really dependent on the marks that he got from before?" Commander Irvin replied in question. Jean only looked back at him with a more confused pair of eyes. "What do you think, Jean?" He said, alluring the other male to speak his mind.

"It _is_," Jean answered. "But it is not the sole factor to determine one's importance." He explained. "The exams that the government employ during the three-year training might be to distinguish those who are really talented. But it's the value of human life we are talking about, sir." Jean said. "Whether or not one has proven himself to be a great soldier, I think that he is of equal importance as his fellow soldiers." He said. _Even though I thought of it as a pass for me to stay inside Sina…_ he only added in thought. It was already final, his decision. _But now I am a scout. What happens to me now is of my fucking choice…_ During that brief thought, the image of Marco passed through his mind. He could only bite his lips after sadness stirred his heart once more.

"Your answer only tells me of how humble you are or how _dense _you can truly be." Commander Irvin answered back. "But I'm sure that it's not the second, since you answered too well for a recruit of your age." He leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of his face, covering his mouth in the process. He replanted his gaze towards Jean. "The world is harsh against everyone. The titans don't choose if it's a good soldier or not. The truth is that the one who always survives is the one who can endure and has learned the ways of this bitter world." He said, his expression not even changing for a bit. He saw how Jean felt bothered by his declaration, but Commander Irvin had lived upon the world much longer than the young man in front of him. "I know you understand me, Jean." He said. "I am only saying this because it's the same thought inside your head." Commander Irvin mentioned. "Perhaps I may have called you for _another _reason, but it's your exact thinking that made me choose you." He maintained, trying to persuade Jean off his negativistic thought.

"I understand," Jean said, sounding deflated and tired at the same time. But despite the somber tone he possessed, Commander Irvin knew that Jean was far from submission – still too far for him to throw the white flag up. It only meant that Jean had gave in to what his heart was telling him and Irvin Smith had to capitalize on it. "What do you want me to do, Commander Irvin?" Jean asked, trailing his eyes back at the older male. I've heard from Lieutenant Hanji-san that there is something that I need to do as part of our batch."

"Indeed," Commander Irvin acknowledge. "There is no other person suited for this job but from one of the 104th Squad itself." He finally unclasped his hands and then crossed them in front of his chest. "I believe you are fairly acquainted with Armin Arlelt." He said. Jean perked up upon hearing the name, but his face darkened after a few seconds. Commander Irvin easily noticed the change on the younger male's face, but did not give any particular attention to it at the moment. He didn't speak more and waited for Jean to talk.

"I know him, sir." Jean responded, his eyes darting to the sides. Hanji could swear that he heard a muted hiss that laced Jean's voice, though the overall reticence of Commander Irvin just made her kept the comment to her own. "Though he isn't part of the best ten, he is distinguished as the batch's greatest theoretician." He said, sounding so hesitant at the same time. "He was the one who planned on how to take the supply station back at Trost's headquarters and the one who proposed Commander Pixis to use Eren to plug the hole on the district's walls."

"Yes, we know the details until that point," Commander Irvin replied. He had thought of it before, after the Stationary Guards had debriefed them after they returned to Trost shortly after they left. It had been a matter of importance especially to the high-ranking officers of the military branches. It was a highly unorthodox plan, a strategy that snatched the attention of the eccentric Dot Pixis. But even though it was unconventional, Commander Irvin Smith was still interested on its chances of success, a feat that made him slightly riveted about the person who thought of it. Whether it was coincidence or not, knowing that he had caught the tail of the same person made him more cautious. "This is a _special_ quest that I want you to handle." He continued. "I want you to _investigate _Armin Arlelt for the Scouting Legion." He finally said, stunning Jean.

"Investigate?" Jean only repeated the word. "What do you mean by that, Commander Irvin?" He asked. Though he still felt angry at Armin, he couldn't help but ask about the unwarranted attention that the Scouting Legion suddenly placed on his blond batchmate. "Did Armin do something wrong?" _Did he do something even worse than letting Marco get killed?_ He added, though it only remained inside his head.

"As you and everyone else know, Eren Jaeger is being held by the Scouting Legion as both a soldier and a man under suspicion by the imperial government." Commander Irvin Smith started. "Right now, he is being personally handled by Lance Corporal Rivaille and his squad. Their task is to protect Eren from outside and _inside _forces and provide necessary actions in such cases wherein Eren is rendered _uncontainable_." Jean gulped upon that sentence, knowing its full meaning too well. Lines of death and punishment accompanied those lines, even if those weren't directly stated. "Right now, we are putting the same degree of protection and doubt over Armin Arlelt, after some of our people discovered something different about him." He finally said, making Jean stand up from his seat once more.

"What do you mean, sir?" He asked, voice suddenly shaky and tensed. "A-Are you saying that even Armin is a—" Jean didn't even need to continue. The insinuation was already palpable from his tone and expression alone. To be doubted by the Scouting Legion was not a minor issue; there had to be a terrible reason for it to happen.

"Fortunately, the theory that Armin is a titan is far from our thoughts." Commander Irvin addressed the worry that instantly flooded Jean's mind. "There is no indication that Armin can transform as well." He sent his pupils back to the side, on the direction where Hanji stood and waited. She hadn't spoken anything since he and Jean started conversing, though Commander Irvin was aware that she was only waiting for her chance to do so. "But I'm not worried about what he is. I'm far more concerned on what he _knows_." Commander Irvin said.

"The Scouting Legion's priority is to recapture the lands that the titans occupied five years ago." Finally, Hanji broke her own silence and started to walk near Commander Irvin and Jean. "But, unknown to the rest of the population, we have a priority _two_, and that is to discover the secret books that the Imperial Government has banned since a century ago." She said. "Even though by fighting the titans the Scouting Legion has gained some knowledge, we believe that finding the earlier records of humankind can help us give more advantage than we have right now." She continued to explain. It seemed that Commander Irvin had given her the stage at that point. "We discovered that there were books collected within several districts of Wall Maria. But ever since we lost the wall five years ago, it became more difficult for us to retrieve the information."

"However," Irvin Smith suddenly spoke. "There were reports that there is a recruit among us that is suggested to have read one of these books." He said. "Right now, we aim to establish if these reports are real." He only added, keeping that straight gaze at Jean.

"And you're thinking that this recruit is Armin?" Jean only stated. He was still doubtful at that time. The sudden flood of information literally messed his mind up. He couldn't fully establish the relationship of the Scouting Legion's wary attention towards Armin and the notion that the latter had read one of those banned books. _Is there something so important that they had to investigate Armin?_ He asked himself. "I've known Armin for three years, and though I don't like how he wrapped himself over Eren, I don't think that he had something suspicious under his sleeves." He said. He almost cursed loud when he just realized that he _defended _Armin subtly.

"It's a special case," it was Hanji who answered him that time. "We don't have the full details and that is why we want to have an investigation." She explained. "Unlike Eren who doesn't have any idea about his titan-shifting skills, Armin might be aware of this thought in his mind. If we put pressure over him, he might just crawl into silence." She told him. "That is why we're not going to do this publicly. And that is where your role is, Jean Kirschtein. You need to do this in _secret_." But she held an openmouthed expression after saying it. "Now that I think of it, is there someone else in your batch that we can entrust with this mission?" She asked. "You can say that he will only be your accomplice on this one, and you don't have to inform him of your involvement in this _secret_ task."

Jean was silent at first. It was truly an important mission, and if he was already caught in it, then he had to pick his cards right. "If I have someone I want to look into Armin, then it has to be _him_." He said and looked at Hanji. "I would like to request the help of—

* * *

_**Road to Karanese District  
**__**3 weeks after**_

A louder explosion shook the caravan once more, completely putting the Scouting Legion on full alert. Squad Leader Ness had already taken the initiative to supervise the new recruits, ordering them to move to the farthest portion of the convoy. As the rest of the legion scrambled into the nearby forest, the new recruits from the 104th Squad huddled together as they started to regroup to protect the important equipment being carried by their party. There was only silence after the blast that rocked the earth beneath them, which made Cis – one of the legion's regulars – to look around nervously.

"Keep your feet on the ground," Squad Leader Ness chided him. "You know it's not really unusual for us to be attacked, especially at this time." He said and looked at the dim of the night, peering through the shroud of black that covered everything. The night was moonless, and the twinkling stars weren't enough to serve as illuminations against the blanket of dark. The soft crackling sound coming from the torches filled the brief silence, and the fire that burned on its tips brightened an immediate area around them. "Better be on alert," he said and looked behind at the new recruits.

"What do you mean that it's not unusual?" Conny asked in a curious and worried tone, his voice toned down into his softest. The torch that latched on the caravan's side only shined on half of his face; shadow hid the rest of his expression. He gripped on his three-dimensional maneuver gear even tighter as he stared at Leader Ness. "Are you saying that it's normal for us to get attacked at times like this?" He said, sounding so doubtful and confused at the same time. His eyes remained plastered over the older male, silently pleading that what was happening was nothing so serious.

"It's some _looters_," Reiner's voice was strong, which attracted the attention of most of them that time. He didn't mind the strange and inquisitive looks given to him but instead kept his gaze onto Conny and Leader Ness. "I heard that there are some people that ambush the imperial government's convoys that travel between the districts." He just said, and, on the look that he gave at the older male, it seemed that he was certain on his thoughts. "They attack in groups in order to steal items being carried by government convoys." He added.

Leader Ness only nodded at Reiner, eyes downcast. "Yes," he moaned in near whisper. "Since we're still inside the human territory, we've assumed before that it would be safe to travel even at night." He started at first. "But then, these past months, there had been a recorded increase in the amount of attacks done against the caravans." He shared to them. "Some townsfolk that live outside the district feels that the government is not giving them their proper share and started to pillage the caravans." After a minute of silence, Leader Ness was only able to give out a dry chuckle. "Makes you think twice on who the real _enemy _is," he only commented.

"Why?" Conny asked. Some of them looked at him with an agreeing expression, though others easily hinted their disbelief on how _naïve _the nearly-shaven teen was. "Don't they understand that the titans are our greatest _enemy_?" He said, trying to persuade those around him with his line of thought. "We know that this isn't the time for humankind to fight each other!" He said, shrilling in a hushed tone. "We need to work much more, now that we just nearly lost Wall Rose!"

"It's only survival." Annie commented, much to the surprise of the other recruits. Most of the 104th Squad that Annie was the silent type. Even though she had a strong set of opinions, she tended to keep it to herself. "Rather than being united after knowing that Wall Rose was nearly taken by the titans, I'd be trying to do the same thing as them." She said, her monotone voice sharpening her blunt remark. Reiner only frowned at her words, but Conny appeared more confused and furious at that time. The blond female noticed the stare from the shorter teen, but simply shrug it off.

"_Oi_!" Conny almost yelled loud, if not for Reiner shushing him down. "This is not the time to pose out your stupid ideas, Annie!" He said, looking at her irritatingly. A strangling atmosphere quickly descended over them, seemingly erasing away the danger still proffered by those who had caused those explosions. Everyone was still as Conny and Annie's stares intensified as the moments passed. Squad Leader Ness was well aware of the situation, but he understood well that the least amount of intervention will help the youngsters in the future. "You're such a—"

"Just calm down," and then Leader Ness realized that they won't do well in the first time. He looked solemnly at Conny. "What you say is the truth." He said to placate the teen. "It's true that humanity must unite in order to make a stand against the enemy whose only purpose is to annihilate us. But you should know too that not everyone shares the same thought. If there are things that can _unite_ us, then there are things bound to _separate_ us." He explained, not only to Conny but to the rest of the new recruits. "Perhaps humanity can only survive by working together, but not being able to settle our differences is part of humanity." He paused for a while and glanced briefly at Conny. "I'm not saying these things to dampen your ideals. I just want you to understand that not everyone feels like you. And your task as a Scouting Legion is to show them of how important your task is." Squad Leader Ness knew that he already got the full attention of the new recruits. "Listen up. If being _greedy_ is only being human, then never forget that _sharing_ is only being human as well." His eyes landed on Annie. "And that—"

Leader Ness was stopped midway his words when Cis pushed him off his current position, the two of them landing hard against the ground. The recruits were suddenly filled with surprise after the scene and approached the two regular members of the Scouting Legion. Those who didn't, however, only saw a glistening blade that embedded itself on the caravan's side – at the same spot where Leader Ness' head would be if not for Cis dislodging him away. Horror suddenly filled them as they sent their wary gazes back at the source of the attack.

"_Damn_," Leader Ness spoke as he stood up. "Thanks for the save, Cis." He quickly thanked the other male. He quickly stepped closer at the side of the caravan and pulled the blade off it. He took some time to observe the blade's design. His expression only remained empty as he beheld the item in front of him – a look that made Jean feel cautious. He would have felt relieved if Leader Ness had shown a flabbergasted appearance, but on the way on how he looked at the small weapon, a small hint started to pound inside Jean's head, informing him that what was happening around them was already too _serious_.

"Here me out," Leader Ness whirled and looked at the recruits. "The twenty-one of you must stay and protect the caravan. Cis and I will look around the area to find the assailant who did this." He shared a look at the other male and gave him a quick nod. "No matter what happens, don't leave this spot. As your Squad Leader, I promise you that nobody of you will die by the hands of your fellow _humans_." He said, putting his fist in front of his chest. "Let's go!" He called out to Cis and the two of them finally left.

At that point, Jean Kirschtein felt that everybody else's eyes were on him. _Fuck_, he just muttered inside his head. _They're not thinking of putting me in this responsibility again, are they?_ He mentally asked himself, shifting his gaze from one person to another. _Damn! Damn! Damn it, Jean! You've already made your decision, dammit! _He cursed himself, shutting his eyes tight as he looked away from them. _You're already in this. There is no stepping back_… He calmed himself down. "You heard Squad Leader Ness." He said in a controlled voice. "Move your asses up and protect the caravan."

He barked some quick orders and placed his fellow recruits in an ideal position of defense, cutting down their number as he placed them in groups that surrounded the convoy. He did this with their safety in thought, reminiscing the mutilated body of Marco in the process. He felt angry once more that he remembered that death of the person he could have considered his closest in the training camp, and felt angry that he was being placed on a position wherein he could lose more of his fellow squadmates. But it was already a decision that he had chosen, an option that he thought he could only do himself. _I'd have enough people dying up on me._ He said in thought. _And if they die, then let it be my responsibility alone_.

But in the midst of arranging his squad, Jean finally noticed something wrong. There were twenty-one recruits that fell under Squad Ness' leadership, but he had only counted _twenty_, including himself. As he recounted the faces and names of those who were together with the convoy, Jean finally identified who was missing. "_Fuck_!" He finally cursed loud as he ran back to the center of the convoy.

"_Oi_, Jean!" Conny yelled at him. "Where the hell are you going?!" He asked. "Leader Ness said that we should stay here together!" He was able to stop Jean on his steps, but only met his angry and worried expression.

"Nobody has damned noticed that _Armin_ isn't here!" He said, tone harsh. "Reiner!" He shouted to him. "Keep everyone on their places! I'll return with Armin as soon as I found him!" He said then sprinted back to his original destination. He cursed more as he sped his way to the other caravans.

"_Jean_!" He heard someone called his name, which made him face behind. He quickly saw that it was Bertholdt, running atop the roofs of the caravans, jumping on his way to match up with Jean's pace. Jean only looked at him disapprovingly; he had ordered for the rest of them to stay behind with the equipment caravan. He slowed down in order to let Bertholdt follow up, but instantly wore a critical countenance as the other teen neared on his spot. "Jean, let me help you." He said. "I think—"

"I told you to remain in there," he just said. But he knew as well that it wasn't the best time to argue. "It's a pain but I'll probably need your _help_." He said, though his face remained tensed. "You were together with Armin in the caravan, right?" He asked.

"Yes," Bertholdt said in the middle of his breaths. "It's the third caravan from the last." He said and pointed out to the wagon. "I'm sorry that I didn't notice his absence right away." He apologized. "I thought he was _waken up_ after the explosion, so I assumed that he had ran to the last wagon when Leader Ness ordered us."

_He was sleeping?_ Jean asked in thought as he started to run once more. _I had to be sure_, he said to himself. He tried his best to reach the particular caravan, hauling himself until his leg ached. _Lieutenant Hanji asked me to observe if Armin experiences any abnormal sleeping patterns_, he remembered after finally reaching the wagon. _She said I need to watch out for_—he opened the covers that served as the wagon's entryway. His eyes were wide when he finally saw the caravan's interior.

"Armin–Armin's _not _here!" He yelled out, and at the same time Bertholdt landed beside him. The lanky teen peered inside and wore the same surprised expression, his breathing still ragged. "Where the hell is—" But as he asked the question, he and Bertholdt heard a high-pitched sounding sound of a three-dimensional maneuver gear being fired up. It was not too far from their location, which made the two look out and see. And they were stunned to see a cloaked individual who just anchored his gear on the nearest tree, on his shoulder was the seemingly unconscious body of Armin. Even before they could mutter anything, the man flew up, dragging himself and Armin away with the use of the three-dimensional maneuver gear.

"I _knew_ it!" Jean screamed but was staggered when Bertholdt just fired his own three-dimensional gear away, following the same tracks that Armin's kidnapper had made. He only hissed as he finally made his move, and trailed just behind Bertholdt. The night had made their movements less effective, and the sheer darkness of the forest was making their way difficult. But as Jean struggled to maintain his speed, he could not help but notice on how Bertholdt moved flawlessly past the trees, as if he was maneuvering in broad daylight. _As expected from the one who ranked third_, he could only comment as he watched him from behind. But all his amazement was suddenly erased when he saw Bertholdt loaded some blades on the firing mechanisms handles. There was nothing more to be expected from that sight alone. _Is he s-serious?_ Jean could only asked in thought. _Those weapons are only meant to be used against the titans! _He said, eyes still wide as he observed Bertholdt from that short distance. _This isn't the time to get that serious!_

"Bertholdt!" Jean shouted as loud as he could. "Even though he's done an evil thing, don't treat him like a _titan_!" He said. "He's still a _human_!" Jean's breathing was fast and deep; he was starting to get tired from the rush he just experienced. But he was thankful that Bertholdt seemed to have gained back his senses; the other teen tried to look at him, eyes in clear confusion. Bertholdt sheathed the blades back to the canister and did something else to accede to Jean's words.

Instead of anchoring the gear to the next tree trunk, Berthold fired against the kidnapper's _legs_.

The three-dimensional maneuver gear hooked up, protruding against the assailant's leg, smoothly piercing through his flesh like nothing. The man howled as the searing pain coursed through his extremities, losing control at the same time. The man plummeted to the ground, after not being able to fire the gear's anchors to the next tree, taking with him the still unconscious Armin. Jean was thankful that the ground beneath the trees were grassy, which cushioned the fall from a height of nearly five meters. The kidnapper rolled away, clutching his leg in pain, dropping Armin away at a safe spot away from him.

Bertholdt's dropped down by Armin's side, which left Jean to confront the man who tried to abduct the blond. He watched as the man curled in pain, his hands and legs painted in deep crimson. Despite the man's efforts to cover it up, the wound still gaped open and spewed out the warm liquid, recoloring the blades of green beneath him. And though he warned Bertholdt not to use the weapon they used against the titans, Jean brandished his own and pointed it against the man. It was for a different purpose, Jean reasoned. He only needed the man to speak.

"Who are you?" Jean asked, placing the tip of the blade nearer the man's face. He hissed as his hands shook. Clearly, he wasn't the type to frighten another human. He was beginning to hate himself after all those lives that he had lost; just how in the world he could bring himself to take away the life of another. But he tried to remain stern and strong. "Who are you?" He repeated. "Why do you want to take that recruit–" he pointed at Armin's limp body "–away?" He questioned him. "Did you do this on your own?"

"Don't g-get so c-cocky," the kidnapper tried to sound arrogant, despite the pain he suffered. "You don't know who y-you are d-dealing with," he said. He grunted in pain after he spoke, and looked fiercely at Jean. The teen was almost taken aback when he saw that vicious pair of eyes. But he literally held the kidnapper's life; there was no reason for him to fear. The important thing was for him to discover what this man aimed for. "Just being a member of the S-Scouting Legion d-doesn't make you a-any special." He only said, laughing a bit.

"You know nothing," Jean spat back. The tip of his blade touched the man's skin, summoning a trickle of blood that dripped on the metal. "What you did is out of reason," he just spoke, trying his best not to lose his cool. "If you're not going to give me any answer, then I think it is best that you tell it to Commander Irvin yourself." He finally said. He sheathed back his blades and aimed to lift up the assailant. But then he was shocked when the man's body convulsed violently. He stopped moving after some few seconds, and Jean noticed that his mouthed dribbled with a frothy white film. It did not take long for him to realize what just happened.

"H-He _poisoned_ himself," he could only mutter, placing the tips of his fingers over the man's neck. He quickly confirmed the assailant's death after not feeling his pulse. "He didn't want me to know anything," he said to himself, as he stood up and moved away from the now-dead assailant. With his eyes still planted on the body of the man, Jean tried to speak in order to shake away the feeling of dread that loomed inside him.

"Bertholdt,–" his voice was shaky "–is Armin all right?" He asked. He then looked behind him, seeing that the taller teen had placed the still unconscious Armin on a piggyback.

"He's fine," Bertholdt answered, eyes landing fleetingly at the assailant but quickly placing it back to Jean. "I guess he's been knocked out _hard_. He didn't even stir after he fell." He explained, sharing a worried expression with the other teen. "But he's far from harm." He said, and adjusted the smaller teen who still dozed on his back.

Jean finally sighed, expelling the air from his lungs. "That's good," he could only say. "And thank you, Bertholdt." He looked at him. "If you hadn't been here, I don't think I'd be able to save Armin on my own."

* * *

**Karanese District**  
_**One week after**_

One month after Eren Jaeger's special trial, the Scouting Legion's preparation at Karanese District was finally completed. It was the proposition that Commander Irvin Smith had submitted to Generalissimo Dallis Zacklay, the one that involved using Eren in the expedition to reach Shiganshina District in the south. The arrangement of the branch had been smooth, fueled by the knowledge that humanity's secret weapon against the titans would finally be deployed. And despite the looming tension between the Stationary Guards and the Scouting Legion, the progress had not been delayed; in fact, the 57th Expedition's date had been pushed even earlier.

But, unbeknownst to all, there was another primary reason as to why the Scouting Legion had decided to push through with an earlier expedition. There was already that plan set by Commander Irvin himself. It had been of the utmost importance, but the news of what happened one week ago had made him even more vigilant. The truth of the attack against the equipment caravan one week ago had been diffused as merely a random looting attack. Though the Scouting Legion successfully defended the convoy, it was still an ill news that Commander Irvin decided to be left under the covers. Lieutenant Hanji had the same opinion; Corporal Rivaille did not comment on it.

"Somebody else knew about priority _two_," Hanji said as they waited for the gate of Karanese District to be opened. "That is the only possible explanation." She said, looking at Commander Irvin at Rivaille at the same time. "I don't want to put up an accusing finger, but I think we need to accept that somebody else knew about what we are trying to look for." She said, trying to persuade Rivaille and her superior. Her horse neighed; Hanji brushed the horse's face as soon.

"I know." Commander Irvin finally acknowledged. "That is the reason I want Eren and Armin out of Wall Rose as soon." He just said. "Somebody from the _inside_ is trying to take Armin away. Even Ness told me that there is an inside person that leaks the Scouting Legion's information to the outside." He responded as soon. "As long as we can place Armin away from their hands, we can keep him safe under the pretext of our mission." He said, scaling up the fifty-meter wall with his eyes. "By the way, is there anything new about Armin?" He suddenly asked.

"None," Hanji answered. "Jean said that Armin appeared normal now, as opposed when Trost was attacked by the titans." She said, making Irvin nod at her words. "But even with the absence of anything new, what happened last week only made me more curious. It could only mean that Armin had to do something about that _book_." She said to him. "By the way, Commander Irvin, I've told Jean about it."

"That's a good decision." Commander Irvin said. "It will be better if Jean has the idea of what he needs to look for." He only stared forward as the chains that pulled the gate up started to crackle loud. "Jean has to know if Armin has truly read the _Book of Ysmir_."

* * *

- **Fifth Tale ****to be continued **-


	6. Fifth Tale: Second Unseen Memories

**Warning**: Increasing rating.

Special double-chapter post (**2**/**2**)

* * *

**Fifth Tale: **_**Memories not seen before  
**_**Part 2 – **_**The Atmer**_

* * *

_To the soldier of Trost,  
__Corporal Isvenn Sylverrone de Mirreaun  
__Year 738_

_ Though we are proud for being blessed with the gifts that enables us to protect the kingdom, we should always look back at those who support us from the sides, the humble _atmer_ that give their all whenever we strive to elucidate a problem. The _atmer_ are our friends; the one who gives us the voice to perform, the one who talks to us. And for that reason alone that we need to give our loyalty to them, as they give their unwavering faithfulness in return._

_ You, Corporal Isvenn, has found your _atmer_ and thus rendering you to be a full-pledged soldier of Trost and the Mirreaun. With all your powers, always rely to the skill of your _atmer_, for his words and wisdom are your guiding light. The gifts shared to us are as worthy as the skill they possessed. No matter what happens, your will must be in accordance with your _atmer_. It is the only way for us, for it has been the way of those before us. As we are the Great Kingdom's Guardians, we strive to choose the actions that will benefit our family and the people which we swore to protect._

_The Elders of the Mirreaun Family_

* * *

For Jean Kirschtein, it was still a question whether accepting the role of becoming an agent to keep a lookout on Armin was something he should be proud of. Perhaps he still felt angry at Armin that time, but he wasn't entirely as bad as he looked. He was still confused as to the nature of task handed to him by Commander Irvin himself, and he knew that whatever information he might uncover would remain unseen, would only be shared to the eyes and ears of those who had the right to know. Though his duty was truly a special one, Jean was still unenthused about it.

It had been one month since Eren's trial ended to a standstill, which the Scouting Legion took as an opportunity to move. And in that period of four weeks, Jean had been told to remain by Armin's side, to observe him for anything different, to discern if he had something that Commander Irvin Smith deserves to know. Jean didn't truly know what that was supposed to mean. He could argue that Armin had a lot of information stored in his head, as he was their class' top mind. And the days passed without him really understanding what the Scouting Legion meant by that.

And he watched, not really knowing what he should look for. Commander Irvin and Lieutenant Hanji had already discounted the possibility that Armin could be a titan – a fact that he was really thankful for. Though he could not really imagine that someone who was as frail as Armin could become a _monster_, the idea that those people just around him were titan shifters scared him. Perhaps he hadn't given them his full trust. But he had lived with them for three years, those three long years that prepared them to go against humanity's common enemy. Jean was nowhere sentimental, but he knew how to value those little things in everyone. He might not have the attitude for it, but Jean was that person who weighed more on the significance of the inside than his external visage. It might have nothing more but petty survival, but survival itself was the grandest message of instinct. How one would feel if he suddenly discovered that the person he considered as a friend was in fact just another titan? Jean thought of it for a while. Possibly Jean would feel betrayed – no, he surely would. The only thing that was more horrifying than wounding one's pride was hurting his _instinct_ to live.

But now, he had no time to really dwell on it. Mere minutes after they had passed by the titan-infested village just outside the gates of the district of Karanese, they were once again assaulted by a random number of titans, appearing suddenly from nowhere. And though he was still technically part of the mission imposed to them by Commander Irvin, he was strongly reminded that he had a more special mission to perform – that his was almost of equal as that of safeguarding Eren against the titans.

"_Commander Irvin has placed you under Squad Leader Ness' command_," he remembered what Lieutenant Hanji told him before they departed from Karanese District. "_In that way, you can specifically track Armin and his whereabouts_." She said to him that time. "_Listen to me. Your priority is following Armin and giving him protection as long as you can. Ignore the local orders if possible_," she informed, which surprised Jean at an instant. "_These words came from Irvin himself_," she said in assurance, smiling softly back at the light brown-haired teen. Somehow, even that encouraging tone did not made him feel any better.

And he was glad that he hadn't come to the point of disregarding orders from the other officers – however, it happened in the worst way possible. Jean had witnessed Squad Leader Ness' demise during the time when a female-looking deviant titan appeared. Though it meant that their commanding officer had expired on them, Jean was as traumatized as to the death of the person that became their instructor for a brief amount of time. Perhaps it was only fate's humor that his squad leader had to die to signify that he didn't need to break some orders; an absurdity that Jean could not lift a smile to. The titans were no jesters, and their act of subduing the human race was not a laughing matter. Indeed, destiny wrought that the death of humankind be paved by the sheer horror and revulsion of the titans. He only closed his eyes as he muttered a soft apology to Squad Leader Ness, passing by his body as he rushed forward. There were no time to grieve. Every member of the Scouting Legion had placed their own as lives as bets as soon as they voluntarily joined the military branch. Only the heavens knew when the world would take those gambles away.

"Jean!" Bertholdt called behind him. Jean traced a look back, his hair brushed to the side by the racing winds. He had urged his horse to run much faster, in order to reach Armin as soon as possible. The only people who separated Armin from the deviant titan were Leader Ness and Cis – but the two had died brutally at the hands of that same female-type titan. "The abnormal brought with her a lot of titans!" He said loud. "The right flank has been destroyed!" He added, his face pale white. Hearing that only made the hairs on Jean's nape stand.

_That's impossible_! Jean yelled in thought. He looked far to the direction where the rightmost portion of the formation was, trying to note if there were still scouts that rode across the field. _It was only a short a time since we entered this area!_ He mentally said, mind now clouded in disbelief. _Are we all going to meet our end here…?_ But Jean realized that he still had that important task in his hands. _Shit!_ He cursed. "Dammit! What the hell is happening here?!" He just asked loud as he ushered his horse to run much faster. "Bertholdt, follow me! We need to _take_ Armin!"

"But where is he?!" Bertholdt answered, steering his horse closer to Jean. Similar to Jean, Bertholdt's position in the formation had been changed, ending up in the line just adjacent to Armin and Jean's location. "I haven't seen him since—"

A loud crashing sound muffled Bertholdt's voice. And then they could only gape at the scene in front of them. The deviant, female-type titan suddenly burst from the thicket of trees just beside the path where Armin was trekking on. Within two steps, the titan managed to reach Armin and blocked his way. In split seconds, the female titan's hands reached down and swiped Armin and his horse away, sending them flying into the air. The loud thrashing noise made Jean weak; he only watched as Armin fell on the grassy field, seemingly unmoving. _Fuck!_ Even in his head, his voice sounded strangled. _Not like this, not like this!_ He said in thought, muttering those words like a chant. He drove his horse towards the spot where Armin lay. _Please, stay alive! We can't take any more casualties! You can't die on me, Armin! Goddammit, live!_ He just roared silently.

When he saw Armin moved a bit, Jean felt rejuvenated. But the slight hope that flicked anew inside him vanished as soon, when the female titan dropped down just over Armin, her hands stretched out towards the blond teen. He felt shaken as the titan slowly reached out, aiming to grab the teen in a tight hold. And that was the final straw. Jean fired his three-dimensional maneuver gear and latched it on the titan's shoulders, flinging himself closer to the monster. "You are not going to take anymore, you piece of whore!" He yelled and drove his blades against her arm.

Jean was successful on his first try. The female titan immediately withdrew her hand away from Armin and proceeded to cover her neck. It surprised Jean for that second, realizing that the deviant titan had some sort of intelligence. And the titan took the chance to retaliate, using the time when Jean was startled to initiate an attack. Jean moved once more and fired to the ground, his sudden shift barely missing the punch that the titan threw against him. He retreated away from the monster and then saw that Bertholdt had finally started to move against their enemy.

He watched as Bertholdt took the full attention of the female titan, pushing her to step away from Armin. Jean easily grasped that it was his chance to take Armin away. He sprinted towards the blond teen. As he neared to him, he could only look in wide eyes on how the blood seeping from Armin's head dampened the grass and the earth beneath him. He saw how Armin's eyes remained flared open, looking at the titan who was trying to swipe Bertholdt away. "Armin!" He quickly called out upon reaching him. "Speak to me, man!" He shook the teen's shoulders. "I'll take you away—"

"_You don't know who I am_." He heard Armin spoke in a stridently soft voice, though he remained still. Blood continued to pour out from the wound on his head.

**. . . . . . . .**

He felt the warm sensation on his head. But Armin didn't mind it. He did not feel any pain, didn't feel any semblance of agony. All he felt was disappointment and anger inside him. The deep color of crimson had ran over his eyes, painting his vision with that blood red shade. He could not move his body yet, but he felt like hitting the titan that threw him down.

His heart pounded so powerfully that even his chest moved in a violent motion. Armin continued to stare at the titan that slowly reached down to him, and saw how the same titan was pushed away when Jean assaulted her from the sides. He only watched as Jean struggled for some brief seconds before he fled. Armin noticed in the side of his eyes that even Bertholdt had joined the fray, further pushing the titan away from him. Armin was so angry that his fellow humans were so powerless against them. He was so disappointed that despite their skills, they were still being pinned down by the titans. His pupils were still anchored towards the female-type titan. And then he felt a lightening sensation all over his head. His eyes continued to bleed in crimson, his sight being diminished as the warm trail of blood gushed over his blue irises. There was a small voice that called him inside his head, trying to communicate to him, trying to tell him something. And then Armin lost control of his body... His lips parted open.

"_You don't know who I am_." He only said. But Armin hadn't willed those words himself. It only came out from his mouth, as if someone had directed his body to utter that harsh-sounding statement. Armin continued to stare at the female titan. His lips then curled upward, a smile quickly covering his face. The angry expression on his face changed into an amused countenance. He felt Jean knelt near him, but he couldn't care anymore; Armin's mind was numbed but highly engrossed at the same time. Seeing a titan seemed to have made his blood boil. And with his own blood bathing his skin, he seemed to be _invigorated_ even more.

"_I will have to teach you where your _loyalty_ truly lies, _titan." He said. Finally, his body moved on its own accord, pushing himself up from the grassy field. Jean had tried to assist him, but Armin slapped his hands away. "_You also don't know who I am_." He said, now even to Jean, flashing him those eyes now coated in red, his naturally blue irises now bleeding crimson. "_I will have you know the truth. I will have to teach you where_—"

* * *

"—_where is Isvenn_?"

Armin opened his eyes. As he finally slipped away from slumber, he easily saw the strong blue curtain of the sky and the patchy white of clouds that dotted the heavens. He curled his hands on his sides and felt the soft grass brushed against his skin. And though he had no inkling of the scene he just woke up on, he felt warm wave of comfort that washed over him. He felt that his body was as light as feather, felt that he could anything. He even briefly wondered if he could stay and feel that way forever.

"Hey, where's Isvenn?" The female voice came again from just beside him. Armin slowly turned to his side and saw a woman with the smooth, dark flowing locks that reached her waist. She sat beside him that time, and swept her hair that danced with the winds to the side of her face. Her pitch black orbs were round in delight, glistening with the warm flicker of light from the sun. Armin's lips tugged down into a frown, but the woman only smiled even more. It made Armin feel embarrassed and a little bit happy at the same time.

He slowly pushed himself up from the patchy green of leaves. Armin gradually placed himself in a sitting position, crossing his legs together and straightening his back. He did not give any indication of answering the woman as he scanned the surroundings. He felt that he was back in that place once more, the lands of Trost which was not the Trost he knew. The absence of the walls that towered over everything else was absent, telling that he was in that dreamscape or illusion or hallucination of his. Armin couldn't decide what. After all, he still didn't know what was happening to him that time.

"I…" He started to speak. "I don't know… where Isvenn is," he finally answered, pausing at some words. He was still looking around at that moment, almost seemingly ignoring the earnestness of the woman beside him. Armin was unaware of the curious stare the female was giving him. "I haven't _seen _him for a while," he only added, finally facing her at the same time. It was partly the truth – or how Armin viewed it himself. After Eren's trial, his visions of Isvenn had disappeared from him completely. He hadn't experience the dream-like state for three weeks. And though he found it weird that it was gone in a sudden, Armin was half-glad that it had stopped tormenting him. Indirectly, it meant that he hadn't seen Isvenn for that long time and— _who is this woman?_ He only asked himself, stopping midway his thoughts. If he was back in that particular _time _of Trost, then why hadn't he seen Isvenn yet? Armin's brows furrowed as the question plagued his mind. The appearance of the woman in his 'visions' was the first one. "What are _we _doing here?" He only asked, stressing that word to make himself sound convincing.

"And now you don't know?" The woman replied in question, though she sounded more like humoring Armin in return. She chuckled for a bit before looking back at the sky. "You've been sounding really silly for the past weeks," she commented, smiling wide as if she remembered those moments inside her head. "There's no wonder why Isvenn has been all over you these days." She laughed once more. "I mean, there hasn't been a day where he didn't complain how weird and eerie you are." She added, making Armin look at her inquisitively. He suddenly recalled another scene from his 'visions', wherein Isvenn actually pointed out how different he was after _visiting_ that particular family.

"So you're also worried about me being called by the _Leonhardt_ Family?" Armin just posed, using the knowledge as a pretext. In fact, Armin didn't understand any of it, but if he could act and ask correctly, he could use the available questions for him to discover the truths instead. But since he wasn't really expecting something fruitful as a response, Armin was surprised to see the slightly dismayed expression that now marred her face. It only meant that Armin had hit a serious spot. "How come that—"

"I mean–" she suddenly spoke, cutting Armin off, "–it's really funny to find you _without_ Isvenn around." She said a little bit sternly, but was otherwise dampened by her effort to smile. It was obvious how she forced that smile on her face; Armin couldn't help but think that there was a deep reason why she tried to wave off the discussion as soon as it was raised. The female seemed to have noticed the stare Armin was giving her. She only tried to smile even more.

"Well," Armin answered, letting the matter slide off to the side, "are we always supposed to be together?" He didn't know if it was on the way he said it – he was sure that he had asked in the most serious way possible – but all the gloom that recently adhered on the woman's face vanished in a moment. She gave out a hearty chuckle that seemed to have made Armin's face a little lighter. He didn't know what the hilarity was all about, but the comforting feeling was enough for him to momentarily abandon the anguish that nested upon his heart every single day.

"If Isvenn hears you saying that, I'm sure he's going to get grumpy for the rest of the day," she said in a snicker. "Now I wonder where that friend of yours is." She continued to say. "I only saw you lying down here and—"

"The _grumpy_ friend is just right here…" Armin heard a deep-toned whisper near his ears, making him look back behind immediately. He quickly saw the droll expression of Isvenn plastered upon him, but was overtaken by surprise nonetheless. He tumbled forward when he tried to move as fast as he could away from the other male, his face landing flat over the soft patch of grass. "After saying that, you just attempted to run away from me…" He said, voice sounding so indifferent. "So, what do you think, _Leah_?" He took over Armin's last spot and sat upon it. He crossed his arms as he looked at the woman. "What shall I do with my disloyal _atmer_?" He only asked, though with how Leah giggled, it seemed that she was far from offering any real response. Isvenn just grinned beside her before he reached out and grabbed Armin's arm, instantly pulling him closer to them.

_Atmer?_ Armin heard that word once more. It was one of the minor terms that he kept on hearing during his visions, and though it was less frequently stated, it had stuck on his head aside from Isvenn's name and real identity. It finally clicked inside his head, that this word had a vital meaning to this 'dream' and to him as well. _From the start, Isvenn is thinking that I'm acting weird._ Armin just said to himself, watching how he and Leah interacted. _I just need to act out. The sooner I learn, the sooner I'll understand the meaning_.

"I'm your _atmer_?" Armin retorted, but making sure that he sounded like humoring the other male. And, by the looks of it, Leah had gotten the meaning of the witticism, though Isvenn didn't generally shared the same level of enthusiasm upon hearing it. Armin tried to grin – to make it look like that he was indeed kidding up Isvenn – and only looked back at the other male with a daring expression. Slowly, to Armin's intended effect, Isvenn's lips curled up. Isvenn playfully punched Armin's shoulder as he laughed with Leah. And though it was an act, Armin once again felt that heartening warmth inside his chest.

"Of course, you are!" Isvenn answered afterwards. "There are other _atmer _like you out there, but you are the only one who can work well with a Mirreaun like me!" He said, sounding so proud in that instant. "It has been known by many that we are the kingdom's guardians. We protect the people with all the power and skill that we have." He stood up at the point, putting a fist over his chest. "We have sworn to offer our lives to the citizens of this kingdom. We are the _Titans_ and we are here to hunt down those who terrorize humankind!"

And that was enough to finally piece out the puzzle offered to him by those 'visions' of his. _I knew it_, Armin could only gasp in disbelief. _This Trost existed even before the time when the titans devoured humankind. There are no walls because there are no enemies to fend off. _He continued to verse in his head, putting the pieces together to form that one meaning. _This is the year 738_, he tried to remember that very first vision of his. _This is exactly one hundred and twelve years after the titans started to drive humanity to extinction_. His eyes widened after realizing one thing after another. _Is it possible… to know what happened during at the time when the titans attacked?_ He postulated… only for him to shake his head in confusion. _No_, he talked to himself. _The real question is why I'm having this visions. I don't have anything to do with this in the first place. I didn't experience this. _He tried to reason to himself. Indeed, there was no direct connection to him. He thought of this in that short second, before he was pulled again with the words that came from Isvenn.

"As Titans, we have the power to protect those who are weak, but we are still dependent to the help of those who knew our words." Isvenn said. He looked down at Armin and pointed a finger to him. "And that is your role," he said. "You are an _atmer_. You can control me as you wish," he shared a brief smile back at Armin. "When I turn into a Titan, you can make me do anything. You are one of those people who has been blessed with a gift to speak with us." He explained.

"Yeah," Leah spoke and looked at Armin as well. "That's why you need to do your best." She said. "You both rely on one another. That's also the reason why you need to tone down your jokes," she casually said, sharing an amused look with Isvenn that time. "As a powerful _atmer_, you can manage to control any Titans. I bet that's just the reason why Isvenn is so clingy to you." She added in snide, making Isvenn complain back at her instantly.

But Armin's ears were not on them anymore. He was stunned after hearing the revelation. _After all those visions… the reason why I always see Isvenn is because I am related to an _atmer _that he knows?_ Armin asked in thought. But the knowledge he just learned was so terrifying. In this age, there were people who could directly speak to the titans, and order to do any actions. _If this is true, then there must still be people who are capable of communing with the titans!_ He remarked silently. _This is an important information! I need to inform the others! There is still hope!_ He just thought.

But then there was a cracking sound that exploded in front of him. He only saw the 15-meter titan form that belonged to Isvenn. On its shoulders was Leah. The two of them looked down at him, seemingly trying to urge Armin to join them. "Hey!" Leah yelled from atop the Titan Isvenn. "Isvenn's not going to move if you just stay there and watch!" She told Armin. Slowly, Titan Isvenn moved his hand and laid it in front of Armin, inviting him to hop on. "See?" Leah continued to say. "You are Isvenn's _atmer_, _Miccaello_." That time yet again, they called Armin by that name. "Come up and do your thing!"

* * *

"Your loyalty is to _me_." Armin finally said, giving out a huge grin at the same time. Suddenly, the female-type titan immediately stopped engaging Bertholdt, leaving him in shock and confusion. The titan slowly turned to her back, beholding Armin who stood in center of the clearing. It seemed that the titan even looked interested at the smug expression Armin wore that time. She approached the teen slowly. There were no attempts to charge against Armin, no indication that the female-type would go for an attack. She stopped moving when she was directly in front of Armin, her height of almost fourteen meters dwindling Armin into a mere powerless creature.

"_Sekr__ï sesdiä pheô_." Armin spoke loud in a language no one understood. Jean only looked at the blond teen with a bewildered expression. But he was more surprised when the female titan seemed to have shuddered on her spot. The titan's eyes were wide as she looked down at Armin, conveying the same degree of incomprehension that Jean wore at the moment. Bertholdt had landed beside him and watched the same scene unfold in front of his very eyes. "_Seôkrï zeör_." Armin only continued. His grin never left his face as he said,

"Kneel before me, _titan_."

And without any warning, the titan dropped down in front of Armin, sending ripples of earthquakes down on the ground. Jean and Bertholdt held to their feet as the tremor coursed beneath them. But Armin was clearly unfazed, not even daunted when the titan crouched down before him. After the ordeal had ended, Jean and Bertholdt could only look in shock as the female-type titan did as what Armin said; with a single knee curled down, she was seemingly gestured in prostration towards Armin. But they still saw the apparently stressed expression on the titan's face. _It seemed that the titan is doing it against its will…_ Jean could only think. _Could it be…?_

"_Séséneoh kíhpheokrï_. You cannot resist me, titan." Armin blurted out, his face showing that he seemed to enjoy the scene. "You are powerless against me." He only said, making the female titan look at him with sheer dissatisfaction. But despite the clearly bemused look the titan sported, she didn't move yet and appeared that she could not even move on her own. Armin stepped forward and approached the titan in front of him. He raised his hand and touched the titan's huge legs. Satisfied with the brief contact, Armin stepped back and looked up to see the titan's face once more.

"I am an _atmer_." Armin said out loud. "I know you understand just _who _I am to you, titan." He continued to say. "I can _control_ you by my will alone. I can use your powers as you use it for your own." He said, as if explaining it to her. And at that time, Jean and Bertholdt was truly lost. They did not even understand what was going on. Armin, who had just been injured after being lashed down by the titan, was now standing bravely in front of it. And what was more confusing was the fact that he was speaking in a dialect Jean could not understand, and had even made the female-type titan follow his command. _What is he talking about? _He could only ask himself. _What 'atmer' is Armin speaking of? And why the hell he could speak to the titan?_ The questions teemed inside him. Sooner or later, they needed to shed light of what was going on around them. Armin and the titan only continued staring to one another as silence started to envelop them.

"Armin!" Jean yelled to him, instantly breaking the looming shroud of silence. "What the hell?!"

The blond teen raised an eyebrow and turned to Jean behind him. He kept his lips shut at first before he spoke back. "_Armin_?" He only asked, sending that inquisitive expression at Jean. "What is that name you are calling me?" He only asked, making Jean and Bertholdt look incredulously at him. "As long as I remember, I have only been called with one name." He stated. "I am called '_Miccaello_' and I do not have any recognition of this 'Armin' you are trying to call me with." He added. The smile returned on his face as he twisted back to the titan just beside him.

"Now, titan, why don't you show me your true form?" He only asked the female titan. "Or do you want me to order you to strip down your titan form just to let me show your true image?" He asked, half-challenging and half-teasing the titan in front of him. "No matter what choice you make – sorry, I mean the choices that _I _make, you will have no say in this. After all, a titan is bound to the words of an _atmer_." He said, eyes being glazed as the seconds passed. "And you are unfortunate to have met _me_."

"_Look out_!" A deep, strong voice echoed from the nearest trees. But Armin didn't have the time to see as a strong pair of arms curled around his body, hefting him from the ground in split seconds. Suddenly, a ten-meter titan fell on the spot where Armin once stood, crushing everything under it. But Armin only looked dissatisfied when the female titan had stood up. His control over her had been broken; she was out from his grasps. As the distance between him and the titan grew bigger, the two of them could only stare coldly against one another, sending silent messages that no one would ever understand. "Armin, you're injured!" The voice of the man who took him away attracted his attention.

Armin placed his fingers on his forehead and felt the damp sensation on his skin. And when he looked at his fingers, he discovered that he was bleeding. But even before he could react, Armin's head lolled forward and his eyes finally bat close. In an instant, consciousness left him. It took his savior a lot of effort to balance him after he suddenly fell into catalepsy.

"_Reiner_!" Jean and Bertholdt quickly moved to him, while they watched the body of the ten-meter titan vaporize into the thin air. They also noticed that the female-type titan was already on her way, running as fast as she could away from them. But they had no time and even the resources to follow that titan, more so that a far more pressing issue was presented before them. "Good thing that you've come!" He could only say, really thankful for the appearance of his fellow scout. "Let's take Armin away as far from here as possible." He only said.

Reiner put the blond teen on the ground and quickly checked on his wound at first. "It's only a small wound, but the bleeding is profuse." He shared and procured a huge roll of bandage from his pack. Bertholdt quickly assisted him, holding Armin's head gently as Reiner rolled the bandaged around the teen's head. "I bet you already know that the right flank has been destroyed," he spoke as he tended to Armin. "I was lucky to have found you." He muttered, seemingly trying to shake the tense atmosphere surrounding them. "What happened? And why do we need to take Armin away?" He looked at Jean.

"There is no time for a long explanation." Jean just said, sharing a quick look with Bertholdt. He double-checked if Armin was fit to travel before he looked out to the other side of the clearing. He immediately saw one of the horses that they left when they used their maneuver gears. Jean made a loud whistle, which attracted the horse, sending it running to their direction. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this." He said to them, taking Armin from Reiner and hoisting up on the horse's saddle. "There's a lot at stake."

But even before Jean lifted himself up to ride on the same horse, Reiner blocked him. "No," he said. "The Scouting Legion is in trouble. You will receive a capital punishment if you leave the field now." He said, both a reminder and a warning to Jean. "You should know that best, Jean." He said to him, almost muttering just under his breath. The two of them glowered at one another, Reiner with his calm but stern expression and Jean nearly reaching his wit's end. The tension even thickened when Jean just wordlessly tried to ride on the horse once again.

Reiner responded by pulling him off the horse. Jean nearly tumbled, but was able to grip the rein immediately, saving him from an instant fall. "Just move away, Reiner!" Jean yelled at him. "I need to report what happened! I need to inform Lieutenant Hanji that Armin can _control _the titans!" He added, which made Reiner simply let go. "Please, I need to do this. If I don't, we'll still all die in the end!" After he said that, Jean did not even waited for a response, kicking the horse on its side, making it run at top speed.

Reiner was wide-eyed. And when he looked at Bertholdt, the other teen could only nod at him, confirming what Jean had just said.

* * *

- **End of Fifth Tale** -


	7. Sixth Tale: Interim

**Warning**: Increasing rating.

**Currently Disclosed Information**: 5 years before the colossal titan attacked Wall Rose, nearly 107 years back, the titans appeared and devoured humankind to extinction. This places the date of the beginnings of the war against the titans to _circa_ 738.

* * *

**Sixth Tale: **_**Interim**_

* * *

_To the humble and proud family of Reiss,  
__Year 738_

_ We are honored that you continue on providing us assistance in safeguarding the Great Kingdom, though we are regretful to inform you that one of your family members has caused the demise of many. We simply wish to inform you that though we are not taking a severe action, we are being pressured as to the outcome of this event not only to us but to Trost and Susitholme as well. We are trying to avoid a direct confrontation with the Royal Family about this issue, and so we ask for your intervention._

_ We know that we are all aware of the consequences. If this matter is not resolved, then we are placed in a situation wherein _war_ will be inevitable. So we ask your family to step in, for you are the real saviors of the Great Kingdom. We are but warriors that stand to guard everyone's lives. And as warriors, we have nothing else to choose but to fight in a battle. As saviors, we believe that you will have a far better option than ours._

_Elders of the Families of the Leonhardt and the Schattmeister_

* * *

Both Bertholdt and Reiner turned their heads as soon as a loud rumbling sound caught their attention. Ymir, who stood upon the nearby branch of the giant tree, also took a cursory glance to where the noise came from, though she quickly planted her gaze back to other two. It took them almost a full ten seconds to recover, with Reiner taking his eyes back to his childhood friend. Despite the confusion that suddenly descended upon them, Reiner was still able to convey his inner worries and question to the other teen. Bertholdt finally turned back, though the explosion that came from inside the forest further fueled his thoughts.

"I need to go," Bertholdt only said after reestablishing the eye contact with his more muscular friend. Reiner did not say anything at that, but the soft grunt that escaped from his lips was proof enough that he was clearly set against what his childhood friend wanted. Bertholdt resisted the urge to sigh. He was known for a lack of initiative, despite being named as one of the top ten recruits in their batch. But perhaps it was only right then that he had stripped himself off the label he was given with. "I need to do this."

"Are you out of your mind?" Reiner soon followed up. He grabbed on Bertholdt's shoulders and squeezed them at the same time. "We are lucky that Christa came to us with those horses," he pointed out to him, remembering that critical moment after Jean took Armin and sped towards the forest. "Do you think that you'll be able to survive on your own?" Reiner asked him, his hands still over the lankier teen's shoulder. His small but golden irises struck through Reiner's very own eyes. But even with the glint of displease coating Reiner's orbs, Bertholdt still stood unfazed.

Bertholdt first placed his hands over Reiner's. "This is something I _need_ to do." He first said, as if trying to calm his friend. He then slowly pulled Reiner's hand off him, dropping them back on his side. Bertholdt's pupils quickly jumped to Ymir who stood not too far from them, before he fixed it back to Reiner. The latter's face had already curled down into an expression of concern and distress. "How do you think Jean's even faring now that he had _someone_ to look out for in the middle of this forest?" He only asked Reiner, which immediately made him look at Bertholdt. Somehow, an impassive countenance dropped over Bertholdt's face, which made Reiner look at him more sternly. They traded some silent words with each other; as if the fleeting looks from their eyes alone were enough to send messages they ought to one another. "You must understand, Reiner." Bertholdt only continued, sound so cold and emotionless that time. "This is not entirely _purposeless_." And though he tried to sound strong and courageous, Bertholdt's voice faltered at the end of that statement. What was surprising was that Reiner remained still and silent after it.

At the same time, a rustling sound followed by the sharp clank of the tension wire that made the three-dimensional maneuver gear work came to their location. A flustered Conny dropped on the tree branch just adjacent to where Ymir was. He only stared at Reiner and Bertholdt for the first few seconds while he gasped for some air, trying to normalize his breathing. And when he had caught on to his huffs after some seconds, he quickly barked some words to his fellows from the 104th Squad. "Our Squad Leaders are ordering us to stand on our ground." He said at first. "They said that we need to stop the titans from advancing through the forest." He added.

"Conny," Reiner's voice took the attention of the shorter teen. Reiner shortly twisted away from Bertholdt and faced him afterwards. "Have you seen Jean and Armin together?" He asked him, making Conny look confused and Bertholdt seemingly interested at the same thought in line. Reiner slightly faced to his side and sent a quick look at Bertholdt, who, in turn, just took the glance as a silent remark of sorts. After all, Bertholdt already knew what he should do, and was already _told_ of what he should _perform_.

"Yes," Conny nodded. "After we took position atop the giant trees branches, we saw Jean and Armin riding on a horse towards the forest." He shared to them, and then wore and worried and baffled look. "But it seemed that Armin is unconscious; he even seemed injured as well." He only said. "But our squad leader has _allowed_ them to go further inside the forest." He maintained, looking at Ymir, Reiner and Bertholdt one at a time. "I don't really know what's happening. But I think that Jean is trying to report something to the command. I think he's trying to go where Commander Irvin Smith is where right now and—"

But Conny was cut off when the sound of the maneuver gear being blast away stopped him midway. Even Reiner was too late to react after he realized that Bertholdt had taken the opportunity to move out and follow Jean and Armin. But even though he wanted to stop his friend, Reiner had decided to remain in order to accomplish the tasks ordered to them. Taking a final glance at the trail made by Bertholdt, Reiner took a step behind and looked at the other two people with him that time.

"Where the hell he think he's going?!" Conny blurted out as soon as he realized what just happened. However, like Reiner, he did not have the immediate sense to stop Bertholdt from his actions; he was even half-hearted to follow him. The teen with the nearly-shaven head directed his eyes towards Reiner, fierce in wanting some explanation from the bigger male. But all what he received from Reiner was a silent indication of his reluctance and his own bewilderment, suggesting that even he was truly ignorant of what ensued before him.

"I thought Bertholdt-san is as _timid_ as he looks," Ymir said from the distance, earning the attention of both Conny and Reiner. She stared at the two of them for some time after she placed her hands on her waist. The air around them was wrought with confusion, worry and apprehension and it seemed that her unsubtle remark did not mixed well with the atmosphere. "But I guess some things do trigger some changes on one person," she bluntly said, before turning away her face from then and instead looking up at the sky. "I just want this to end and come back to Christa's side." She muttered, mostly to herself.

But Reiner was well aware of the thought. Though he himself had not been too attentive of Bertholdt's lack of esteem, Reiner hadn't been too observant of the growing audacity within Bertholdt as well. Now that he had thought of it, Bertholdt seemed to have been active in seeking out Jean and Armin those past days and weeks, and he'd been much more cautious and attentive starting from last week. Even though he had a slight idea of what was going on, Reiner couldn't exactly point out the real reason that caused Bertholdt to act different.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Conny sprung up and jumped down on where Reiner stood. The shorter teen grabbed Reiner by his arm and looked up on him. "Did Bertholdt just left to follow Jean and Armin?" He asked as soon. With Reiner's growing silence and Ymir's lackadaisical musings, Conny seemed to understand what was going on that time. "Even if the Scouting Legion has the whole forest surrounded, there are still tons of titans crawling inside this place!" Conny told Reiner, shaking the bulkier teen's arm at the same time. "Just what the hell are going on with our friends?! I can't seriously understand anything right now!"

But Reiner had no consoling words to offer him. He understood Conny's nature of thinking, knew how optimistic the kid could be. But there were times that silence was the only real response, and the explanations were nothing but empty words. Reiner had that little thought inside his mind, that little suspicion about what caused Bertholdt to act less reticent than he always was. But, right now, aside from thinking about the probable cause, they were still well within the eye of the tempest, still inside the storm that kept in growing stronger. If all of them wanted some answers, then all what they could do was to preserve their strength and live through the havoc that the tempest rained down against them. And, in that final reflection, one particular thing reminded Reiner that everything would end up all right in the end: there was no worrying about Bertholdt at all. As long as it was his childhood friend was concerned, there was nothing to be anxious about. As long as it was about Bertholdt, even Reiner could be rest assured that he would be well in _handling_ himself.

* * *

"_We've achieved this result because you chose to believe in us_."

But he couldn't believe in those words afterwards. Before his very eyes, the Special Operations Squad – a team handpicked by Lance Corporal Rivaille himself, which was supposed to be an elite group – was decimated by that one who used the guise of a human to bring down the rest of humanity. He only watched as _Gunter Shulz_ was killed with the very same blade that they used to battle the titans. His eyes were only wide in shock and sadness when Gunter's head was nearly torn free from the rest of his body; part of his nape was wedged off in a similar pattern to that of killing a titan. And then he realized that the nightmare had not ended _yet_.

The explosion of flesh and vapor had told him that the female type titan was still up for the count. And though he wanted to finish the enemy once and for all, he was still urged to move on and let the squad handle the rest. He knew he couldn't simply leave them alone, but he was still bound to his words – that he trusted them to do their jobs. But he had known so long before what would happen next. He had the knowledge of what would transpire. And when he realized that he trusted them in _blind_ judgment, that he trusted them with only but a _pigment_ of belief, he knew that he had only taken the expedient path. When he started to believe in them, did he even thought for a while that the _inevitable_ would occur? Did it even dawn to him that when he handed out his trust, he would be able to _save_ them in the long run? And that was his mistake. And he was already too _late_.

_Erd Gin_ fell next. And like what he did moments after Gunter died, he could only watch Erd's dismembered body be spat out from the female titan's mouth. He only followed what the squad had said, that he had to move forward. But as he took up more steps ahead, the closer that the Special Operation Squad moved to the very doorsteps of death. Erd did not even mutter anything when he fell to hands of death, the thin thread of his life snapped to its end. In that one second life departed from Erd's body. In that one second an important part of the Scouting Legion had been killed – no, _sacrificed_ for the purpose of saving him. And what could he have done if he wasn't held by his words? It was the question that rung loud inside his head. He could have helped them, even if he was to perish. But he said he had _trusted _them, said that he'd believe in their skill and power. It was irony that it was that same trust that hampered him; that he was to cross over a ravine with an indefinite bridge of trust.

It was foolish decision.

But even trust could be _foolish_ at times.

It was not the final time that the female titan would fight back. _Hell_, perhaps she would even retaliate even in the final moments of her life. Just like how humankind view _survival_ as an end, perhaps it could be said the same to the titans – they only existed to _devour _humanity to extinction. Maybe it was this reason that fueled the symphony of horror and death between the humans and titans, the continuous tragedy that fed the world with all the destruction and pain. When humankind thrust deeper into seclusion – into that _delusional_ realm of safety – the more that the titans crawled even further. It was a theater of response; when one would move, the other one was bound too as well. When humankind fell back into the safety of Rose's wall, the titans had begun to assault it. And just how this female titan personified the horror of all the titans made him sick and frightened and angry. She was a testament of a titan's reach, of how they'd do anything just to erase humanity off the world. And against her, even the Scouting Legion's finest were still nothing but minute pests.

Erd Gin was not the last one to fall.

As soon as the female titan recovered, it made a move against _Petra Ral_. The titan heaved her body up and used the momentum to deliver a crushing blow against the petite woman. Flattened between the tree trunk and the titan's foot, Petra perished immediately. Blood and gore seeped out from her body, bones cracked loud and joints popped out as the titan's weight trounced Petra to her death. The warm crimson fluid quickly painted the trunk red; thus, signaling him that the female member of the Special Operations Squad had been harried to her demise.

_Auruo Bossard_ followed with an attack, the thought of vengeance filling his mind and heart. And until that point, he could only watch from afar as he tried to stride forward, away from the female titan that strived to capture him. He observed as the last remaining member of the squad that escorted him battled the female titan on his own. But at that time, tears had started to brim upon his eyes as a thought invaded his head. He already knew it, even though it hadn't happened yet. Just when he stopped and made a quick turn back to save Auruo-san, he saw how the female titan took him out in full force, sending his crushed body hurtling away inside the forest of giant trees. The tears dampened his vision, but it didn't mean that he had lost sight of the female titan. No, he was far from it. He continued to sprint in top speed, his decision had changed abruptly. There had never been the option to _turn back_. He was just as _disillusioned _as them when he handed to them his _trust_.

"_I never know whether you choose to believe in your strength or believe in your comrades who you consider trustworthy enough_," he suddenly remembered what Corporal Rivaille had said to him minutes ago, when they were being chased by the female titan type. Those words echoed inside his head, making his heart race up in a moment's time. "_No one knows what result your choice will bring about_." He placed his right hand over his mouth and proceeded to bite on it hard, blood dripping over his skin as soon. "_That's why it's better if you choose for yourself the option you won't regret later_."

Vapor covered him and huge chunks of flesh and strong set of bones wrapped around him. In split seconds he conjured the body of a fifteen-meter titan that he had used to wreak havoc against multiple titans a month ago in Trost. _No_, he began to think as he charged against the female type_. If only had I chosen to believe myself from the start and joined the fight_… He roared once in his titan form, as he directed his fist against her. _The only result that we have achieved when I trusted you is nothing but your deaths_.

* * *

"_Shit_!" Jean cursed as he meandered between the rampaging titans. He thought at first that the rest of the Scouting Legion was trying to prevent the rest of the titans from entering the forest, but when that loud _shriek_ reverberated all across the woodland, perhaps every titan within the vicinity had rushed inside at the same time. It was not too difficult to maneuver inside, despite the giant trees that marred the landscape. But the stampede of titans had made the situation far worse. And though he and his charge were safe from being eaten, it was not too far from the end they could meet if they were _crushed_ under those huge feet.

Yet he was relieved with the fact that the titans' attention were not on them, he was curious as to why they were being ignored by those human-eating monsters. But he didn't have the luxury of time to think about it. He had something important to do, and just remembering the scene from before had made him believe that his task was just as important as protecting Eren. He tugged his head down to look at the sleeping Armin who he placed just in front of him on the saddle. He held the rein's tighter and tucked Armin between his arms, in order to save him from a possibility of falling. His eyes lingered over the blond locks that identified Armin for some seconds, before he hushed a grunt and strained the horses to go faster.

He steered the horse to the left just to avoid a three-meter titan from running over them. The monster tripped on his own, sending its body over the ground, before it was crushed beneath the fleet of titans that only continued to run ahead. Jean's eyes were wide in fear; if a titan was just literally flattened because it was stepped upon, then just what would happen if they were the ones caught under it? He soon ignored it but became more cautious at the same time. He hurried his horse forward, with the intent of reaching Commander Irvin as soon as possible. He had already been given the right to bypass formalities and he decided that he had no need for formalities anyway. _If we're not going to survive this, then all hope will be lost_. Jean said, at the same time knowing that it was _his _responsibility to ensure Armin's survival.

And then they finally reached the spot where the titans swarmed over. He was surprised because of the sheer number of titans that tried to dig into the mound of bodies that formed in the center of the clearing. He also saw the bodies of the titans that slowly turned into vapor; the evidence that the Scouting Legion had stayed here even for a while. Apparently, the legion had left the place in a hurry. Jean noted the number of supplies and cargos that were abandoned in the location, suggesting that there had been an order to withdraw. He circled around the titans – living and dead – and avoided every contact possible.

_While they're at it, I can use this opportunity to get away_, Jean spoke in his head, watching the mess as he steered the horse away. _But I need to contact the commander. I don't even know if I'll be able to save Armin and myself. _He thought. But he understood the complication right then. If he was to contact the legion's main force, then he'd be inviting the attention of the titans around them. But if he remained hidden and just avoid the titans, sooner or later he would have to face them… and eventually meet their end. He shook his head. _No_, he said to himself. _Everything has been a gamble from the time we started the expedition. I know Commander Irvin has weighed the stakes on this one_, his left hand slowly crawled to his belt pouch. _If I don't make the same decision, then I'll make the same mistakes again. If I don't act now, then I'd buy my safety with the life of the people around me_, he only reminded himself.

"_Ne_, Armin," Jean spoke, though he knew the sleeping teen wouldn't hear him. "Say, are you ready?" He asked as he pulled out a pistol-like item from his pack.

**. . . . . . . . .**

"Without fighting, mankind will have no chance to win."

It was what Commander Irvin last said before a high pitch wheeze attracted the main force's attention. The leader of the Scouting Legion took a glance behind him, as if trying to look out for the source of the sound, before he shared a look with Lieutenant Hanji riding the horse beside him. The rest of the legion was bewildered with the fact that there was someone else left behind the clearing where they attempted to trap the female titan, which made Hanji thought of another possibility. Just as the commander and her eyes remained plastered to one another, a second shot of the same sound echoed through the forest. It was only then when Commander Irvin pulled his vision away from Hanji and stared ahead.

"What the hell?" Someone from behind yelled in fit. "Perhaps it's one of the damned recruits!" He said. "Don't they know that using those sound grenades will only attract the titans' attention to us?" He said, muttering some curses afterwards.

"Irvin," Hanji said in a nearly soft voice, as opposed to her normally energetic tone. "Two sound grenades fired consecutively," she stated at first. "It's the signal for priority _two_." She finally said. "Jean is _calling_ on us." She shared, noting that it was the sign that she had taught the teen before their expedition started. Though she did expect that it may come to use during their mission, she was still surprised that Jean had pulled the trigger. The simple act alone was enough to send a burgeoning amount of implications, something the she and the commander were looking for.

"Then something _did _happen," Commander Irvin just remarked, understanding the brewing worry inside Hanji. "And if it's Jean himself who had called for us, then I could not think of any other important reason other than it's relation to priority _two_." He concluded. Hanji only nodded at his words. "All right then," Commander Irvin said. "Gather your squad and split from us. Remember that this task is as important as capturing that female titan alive. I don't want to lose another objective after failing the first one." Commander Irvin stated, though the hints of disappointment had been too subtle to be noticed. "That is an _order_."

Lieutenant Hanji Zoe nodded at him, before she turned her head behind and started to bark some orders. "We're going to look for the scout that fired the sound grenades." She said to her squad, ushering some surprised expression from some of them. "Leave your horses to the main force. We are going there with our three-dimensional gears!" She said, adding a sheepish smile at the end of her words. Without any further notice, Hanji jumped off from her horse and fired the gear to the nearest trunk. She reeled herself nearer the tree and started to fly back into the clearing. The rest of the squad followed her.

_There's a massive number of titans there when we left_, she spoke in her head, before she smile to herself. _As expected by Irvin, Jean has the right skills for this task_. She added. If the Scouting Legion had gambled over Jean to discover what Armin truly knew, then Jean was also gambling _back_ to the Scouting Legion. Trust and reliance often came hand in hand, though not everyone could fully combine the two. But Jean's way of thought was different. _He found a _middle_ ground between trust and reliance_, she said. _How cheeky_.

As they neared their destination, she and her squad heard the galloping sound of a horse in full speed, which was then followed by a low, rumbling sound of feet shuffling in a quick march. She then immediately saw Jean urging his horse forward while he was being trailed by a considerable number of titans. Obviously, there was only one thing Hanji had to do. She smiled in a wide grin before she dropped from the tree. The first titan never knew what hit it. It only fell dead next to the piece of a cleanly wedged flesh from its own nape.

Jean marveled as the titans following him started to drop around them, while he quickly saw that a small troop of scouts had circled around the monsters, taking them out systematically. And though Lieutenant Hanji herself appeared to be enjoying observing and killing the titans, she had taken the largest share of kills in that battle. Jean felt that he wanted to help, but when Armin's head lolled over his shoulder, he was instantly pulled back to the reality of his job. Giving a silent '_thank you_' to Lieutenant Hanji and her squad, Jean Kirschtein continued to move on ahead.

Suddenly, a crisp loud sound reverberated all throughout the forest, accompanied by a quick tremor that lasted for only one second. The horse that Jean and Armin nearly ran wild in surprise, but Jean's quick action prevented them from being horseless. He took a moment to look at the side, deep into the shadows cast by the giant trees as he and Armin made their way to the tracks made by the Scouting Legion's main force.

One minute after, Jean heard a galloping sound behind him. Curiosity filling him up, Jean looked back only to be surprised. He then saw Bertholdt riding on a horse, tailing him that time. Jean couldn't help but feel angry and displeased. For another time, Bertholdt had once again ignored an order, not just from Jean but from the local squad leaders. Knowing that the titans had been kept in bay by Lieutenant Hanji's forces, Jean slowed his horse down in order for Bertholdt to pace up with them. And once Bertholdt reached them, Jean quickly scolded the other teen. "Are you out of your _fucking_ mind?!"

Bertholdt winced at the angry tone, but showed that he wouldn't back down as well. "I only thought of helping Armin as well." He only said.

Jean glowered back at Bertholdt and resisted an urge to sigh. Instead, he took in a huge breath and tried to calm himself down. "How many times have you broken some orders?" He said at first. "I don't care if you ranked greater than me in our class, but don't put yourself in danger just because of your _selfish_ thoughts!" He reprimanded Bertholdt, though in a much softer voice than before. He then noticed something and narrowed his eyes down at Bertholdt's waist. "Where the hell is your maneuver gear?"

"I followed you with it." Bertholdt answered. "But I lost gas midway." Jean looked at him in horror. "I was lucky to find this horse and met with Lieutenant Hanji on my way. I discarded my gear and—"

"What the hell are you thinking?" Jean hissed, cutting off Bertholdt. "You should have kept it and take a spare gas canister if you find one!" He said.

"But I just—"

"I know." Jean stated, closing his eyes to compose himself. "I know that you're only doing what you _need_ to do." He looked at Armin once more. "Armin's safe right now, so you and I have lesser things to worry about."

* * *

Just when he had the will to fight, everything ended _against_ his favor. His battle with the female titan was no doubt intense, and fighting in equal footing with the monster that shared the same capabilities as him was the littlest good news that he had known. He had filled himself with all the rage and wrath he could muster, and directed it against the titan that took away lives of four members of the Scouting Legion, people who could have done more if they hadn't met him in the first place. He was angry at the female type titan as he was angry to himself. Corporal Rivaille had told him the _right _thing but he had chosen the _wrong _decision. In that time and place, when the titans drove humankind into extinction, a mistake would cost a life. And when one's mistake was severe, it would take not one but the lives of many more. It was the _just_ payment set against them by the world, by the world which had been _unfair_ ever since the titans appeared a hundred years ago. It was meant to ridicule them. It was meant to hinder humanity. All just because of a single mistake.

In the end, though, he was outdone by the female titan type. In one swipe, his enemy had kicked him high enough to reach his head and severe it in half. It was the final vision that ran through his head, before everything turned into darkness. Overwhelmed by weakness, he had nothing else to do but fall. He had done his best, but he was still overpowered. Perhaps wrath and rage and vengeance hadn't been enough. If there was something more powerful than revenge, then it was the instinct to survive. And, that time, he could not even move a single muscle after his enemy defeated him.

He suddenly remembered the clouded memory of his father five years ago. "_Their memories will show you how to use it!_" He said to him. Of who, he didn't know – he couldn't even care. But it had definitely helped him in different situation. He knew he had to hurt himself to become a titan. But who had told him that way? No one. It had only been _instinct_, an inner voice that told him to do so. It felt like he had that knowledge all along, though his memories had no recognition of it. '_Their memories_' his father said. Perhaps it was '_them_' who taught him.

_Atmer?_ He felt like talking to himself. _What is an atmer?_ He was asking himself, since his _instinct_ was speaking to him once again. _If I only have more power, then I can kill every fucking titan off this world_, he stated to himself. _Why do I need to find the atmer?_ The one-sided conversation continued inside his head. _If I find my atmer, I will become stronger?_ Those were the final lines that appeared in his mind, before sunlight bathed him when the female titan split open his titan body's nape. He was then swallowed whole by the female titan.

He did not know what happened next.

* * *

Later that afternoon, when the signal flares for the withdrawal was fired, only few people had truly known what happened inside the Forest of Giant Trees. There were shushed opinions as to what transpired, though there was one thing that was clear to them – the 57th Expedition had suffered a crushing blow. Despite the fact that the whole thing had been planned to the dot, it still failed and, in the end, a huge number of scouts had paid it with their very lives. The way back home was silent and plagued with unanswered questions. But the main force of the Scouting Legion, that which was being led by Commander Irvin, had a different thought in mind.

There were _three _notable things that everyone from the Legion had heard, though not everyone had an explanation for each one. The first one was the sound of continuous cannon fire inside the forest. Many of the scouts knew that they hadn't brought any cannons during the expedition, and it had been one of the questions that coursed through their heads. About this, only the select few knew, which was not totally disclosed as an attempt to capture the female titan type which Commander Irvin had indeed intended to lure.

The next one was the shrill cry that called the attention of the titans surrounding the forest. Everyone was surprised when the titans suddenly rushed inside, ignoring every scout within the perimeter. Many had even thought that the titans were abnormal types. About this, only those few knew as well. They did not know that the female titan type was capable of calling in more titans with her voice, which was subsequently used to cover her escape and pursue Eren Jaeger once again. It was an information valuable to the Scouting Legion, one that they intended to share.

However, the last and perhaps the most significant one so far was only known to four people. Commander Irvin, Lieutenant Hanji and a random scout discussed about it away from the rest of the legion – Lance Corporal Rivaille had to be given immediate medical attention then. To reveal it even to the trusted members of the Scouting Legion was nearly equal to disaster. It would have spelled doom if more people had discovered it. Even if the trio from the Scouting Legion had the mental strength to accept everything peculiar about the world, they were still stunned to discover what happened during the chase inside the forest.

"Every one of us felt the tremor," Lieutenant Hanji said. "Even Rivaille said that they felt it when he and Eren's childhood friend, Mikasa, fought the female titan to take Eren back." She reported. "According to the reports we have gathered from five years back, it had been the same thing that happened when Wall Maria and Shiganshina District was sieged by the titans." She stated, looking at Irvin at the same time. "And this particular scout has reported it to us. From the looks of it, he was too frightened to _lie _to us. He's saying the truth, Irvin." She just said.

Commander Irvin Smith was silent as he led what was left of the Scouting Legion back to Karanese District, thinking of the news.

The lone scout had told them that the cause of the tremor was the _colossal titan_ itself.

* * *

- **End of Sixth Tale** -


	8. Seventh Tale: The First Gamble

**Warning**: Increasing rating

* * *

**Seventh Tale: **_**Gambles  
**_**Part 1 – **_**The Boy in Question**_

* * *

_**The Eulogy of Maria  
**__**Year 837**__**  
**_

25_ Because of sadness we learned hate  
_26_ And then blamed everything else to innocent fate  
_27_ That time we have begun to fall  
_28_ Our curses rang throughout the city and its wall__  
_

29_ Bitter luck ran dry and left us  
_30_ Some of us prayed that our demise would come to pass  
_31_ We did not know what happened then  
_32_ All we wished for was safety to come whether when__  
_

33_ Then they told me what had been done  
_34_ That what was important to him was lost and gone  
_35_ He was only sad and in pain  
_36_ And he was worried for that which had kept him sane__  
_

37_ And now I also cry for him  
_38_ He who caused humankind's death with merely his whim  
_39_ He who blamed people in return  
_40_ The one who had cast the fire and left us to burn__  
_

41_ O Ysmir! One who's truly kind!  
_42_ How I woe for your efforts, to seek which you find!  
_43_ You have simply driven us away  
_44_ For that sadness in your heart will forever stay__  
_

45_ But let me ask you one more thing  
_46_ Let me save the one who I have shared my feeling  
_47_ Then I will keep them safe from you  
_48_ One who is angry and wrathful but always true__  
_

**. . . . . . . . .**

He briefly wished that he hadn't woke up at that moment. It was not the sudden wobbles of the cart that brought him inside the district that stirred him from his sleep, but the soft mutterings that came from the sides. As he remarked the scene from his spot, he easily remembered how he was once part of the crowd that always viewed the return of the Scouting Legion with pride and happiness, always looking at the scouts with great admiration for their courage. But a span of five years had finally taught him the bitter truth of the infamous military branch.

The return of the Scouting Legion was met with dim eyes. The people living within the districts were the common audience for the parade of gloom and death whenever an expeditions ended. The arrival of the legion was a testament of the brutality of the titans, of how powerful they were against humanity. When he was a kid, he believed that the members of the Scouting Legion were the heroes. But, right now, he realized that they were not far from the common citizens; that they were as well _victims_ of the titans that they fought.

Eren could only cover his eyes as tears ran down his face. He wanted to say sorry to those scouts who had lost their lives in the expedition, felt sorry for those he should have saved if he only acted sooner. Everything weighed down against him. He wanted to tell everyone of how he was much of a failure; he wanted to apologize to the kids who only hoped for a better future, that of when the titans would only be part of history. Everything had ended in failure, Eren knew. And everybody else felt the same frustration he was feeling that time.

And during that same day a messenger from the capital brought ill news. The details of the Scouting Legion's defeat came flying to the Imperial Government and they had summoned for Commander Irvin Smith and Eren Jaeger themselves.

It was the day that the Scouting Legion felt dreadful for its own existence.

* * *

**One day after the message of summon arrived**

Eren took a cautious glance to his side, eyeing Commander Irvin at that short distance between them. He was already made aware of the strangling tension that surrounded the old palace-turned-headquarters of the Scouting Legion, though in fact he was more than mindful of it than they realized. The last mission had ended in a definite failure. And just when that memory passed inside his mind, Eren could still not accept the fact that he was made center of the 57th Expedition without him knowing it. And though he had tried his best to accept the secrecy of the plan, how it ended up as a disappointment was well within the reach of his responsibilities.

In comparison on how Eren took it as his own fault, he could not figure out as to why Commander Irvin Smith remained cool and collected. There were no traces of remorse on his face; there was not even that sign that in his leadership came another disaster that took away the lives of the good soldiers of the Scouting Legion. Eren had taken the blow so hard that he ended up blaming himself, but the expression that Commander Irvin wore only reminded him that as if death was a common end that befell the scouts of the military branch.

"Do not get upset." It was Lance Corporal Rivaille who spoke behind him. Eren took a cursory look at the Scout officer that took charge over him, and gave him a curious yet confused stare. Rivaille noted the gaze with nothing but his sharp, cold eyes before he continued to speak. "You're thinking that everyone died in vain." It was not an assumption, but as if it the statement was lifted from Eren's very mind. Eren nearly gaped in surprise when the corporal spoke, though his lingering depression easily dampened his expression. "You were not the only one given the choice to fight or to live. Everyone in the Scouting Legion had been given the same options." Rivaille just spoke. Though those words stung when Eren heard them, he did not see any signs that Rivaille was speaking in a harsh tone. In fact, he was less tense than he usually was. "I have told you before that no one – not even me – can tell you what you really need to do, and what can happen if you do it. They have thought of the same and accepted whatever end they would eventually meet."

"But if not for me, then everyone else would still be alive right now." Eren stated, his tone slightly grizzled. It was anger that he'd turn to himself and the disappointment that laced with his voice. "I placed my trust to them even though I knew myself that fighting the titans is about placing one's life as a bet." He said, hissing for a bit. Commander Irvin turned his head slightly, listening at the interaction as the three of them walked on the hallway. But he placed it back in front immediately. "I'm sorry." Eren only said softly, looking away from the Corporal and followed Commander Irvin's lead. "If I had only made the right choice, things would have been different." He only continued to say, refusing during that time alone to look at Rivaille's face. He had accustomed himself to the corporal's nearly belligerent stares, but to look at him just when the two of them had barely escaped from the eye of the tempest, Eren didn't know if he could say the right words so easily. "And that the others… the others would still be…"

"How can you even blame someone for the duty he's chosen for himself? Can you even spell the difference between _'responsibility'_ and _'desire'_ by that point? If one can't place his heart on something, then I swear that this 'responsibility' would kill him. But if that person accepts it, he will feel fulfilled and happy." Corporal Rivaille said in full, making Eren zip his mouth close as those words entered his mind. "Like you, it was not _fear_ that drove them to join the Scouting Legion. Like you, they desired to rid this world off those titans. If they feared to die, then just what you think made them cling to the duty given to them until the end?" Lance Corporal Rivaille said.

The trio was silent as that final question hummed around them. Perhaps, among the three of them, it was Eren who had the most numerous questions in mind. But he only knew that every life was as important as his; that not just because he was labelled as a 'special case' meant that he was to be treated with utmost care. Right now, just right that moment when the Scouting Legion had suffered defeat, Eren couldn't justify his mistake. It was a _mistake_; there was no denying about it. But would it mean that what Corporal Rivaille had said was partly the reason for Commander Irvin's lack of remorse? He couldn't fully understand yet. Here with him that time were the top officers of the military branch that he'd admired since he was a kid, but it would seem that he had yet to fully discover what being a scout really meant. He had forced himself to grow up, but it appeared that he hadn't seen what the world was yet to unleash against him. Eren could not answer the previous question and only turned into silence.

"Those who have actually settled everything with their own selves are the one who are prepared to lose anything," Commander Irvin only remarked, not giving any hint if he answered Rivaille's question or he was only speaking to Eren. "But if there is one thing that you have settled for yourself, then it's your own sense of humanity–" by that time Commander Irvin looked once more at Eren "–and your willingness to save everybody else. And I applaud you for that. But there would always come that time when you have to question your own certainty once more." He said. "How willing are you to pay at any price for that _certitude_ of yours?"

Commander Irvin Smith then stopped in front of a room, closed shut by a double-winged, wooden door. The three of them had halted at that point. Eren and Rivaille waited for Irvin to open it, and followed soon when the older male invited himself inside it. Rivaille motioned Eren to enter after, and then closed the door behind him when he and the teen had trudged further inside. Eren was still confused as to the reason why Commander Irvin himself escorted him to that particular place. He was only surprised when he saw someone else inside, kneeling on the center of the room, head sealed inside a burlap sack.

"Any words?" Rivaille spoke to the two scouts that stood on both sides of the bagged person.

"None," the taller of two answered. "From the time that you've left, no other words have been said."

"I see." Rivaille just said. "But we have brought someone else to ease up the process." He looked at Eren briefly. "I'm sure that we're bound to find something now." He maintained. "Irvin," he called the attention of the older male.

"I know," Commander Irvin responded and approached the person in question. He slowly placed his hand over the tip of the sack and pulled it off from the man's head. From his position – he was guided by Rivaille near the windows at the side of the room – he could not see who the person was, since Commander Irvin stood directly in front. "I was planning to bring him in from that start." Commander Irvin spoke to the man. "At the very least, we can agree on that part." After he said that, the commander of the Scouting Legion stepped to the side to allow Eren see the man being questioned.

Eren's eyes were wide when he finally saw who the person was. It did not take him long to identify the owner of the smooth locks of gold and the cerulean irises that spoke of great wisdom and feelings. Just as when he realized who it was, Eren started to walk closer to him, before he felt Rivaille's arm against his chest – the lance corporal had effectively blocked his way, perhaps wishing him to step no further. He only looked at Rivaille in question, before the corporal's piercing eyes glued him in place.

"I'll ask you again, Eren." Commander Irvin easily noticed the brimming apprehension in Eren's form. "How willing are you to pay for your own _humanity_?" He just asked, making Eren look at him almost haplessly. "And I'm sorry for the harsh treatment." Commander Irvin now directed his words to the person who still knelt near him. "I did not order for you to be _hurt_. Even Hanji has volunteered to _discipline _the scouts that had attacked you earlier." He said, pointing out the bruise that still swelled over the person's face. "But I will have to think otherwise if the necessity comes, _Armin_."

"You're asking Eren to respond to the same question you were forced to answer as well, Commander Irvin." Armin just said, watching him with a half-lidded look on his face, though he maintained his calm and respectful voice. "I understand that there are people who are prepared to throw their own humanity just for the sake of those they cared for." He maintained. "It was never even about saving one's self, but it was all about the willingness to throw lives for the sake of success." Armin explained, eyes still plastered over the commander. "That seems to be a tough choice," Armin ended, bowing down after he pulled away from Commander Irvin.

"Is that so?" Commander Irvin only muttered. "But throwing away one's humanity is as if saying that one is also willing to accept being a _monster_. And a monster is bound to be shunned by the people. Whatever good that is brought by throwing one's self is equivalent to the amount of evil that he collects to himself." He retorted almost figuratively. "But do you really think that it's a tough choice?" He could only ask. "Choosing is not tough. But coming up with the _options_ is the more difficult part. It's easy to point to one answer, but how can you ever be sure that it's a _legitimate_ answer in the first place?" He stepped away from Armin and walked short near Eren. "Just like what your friend said, Eren, the question is whether you're willing to throw away your _humanity_." He narrowed his eyes against the teen, though it was still technically devoid of any observable expression. "We are all hiding monsters within us. And those who can hide it well are those who are considered real humans. Are you one of those prepared to release that monster inside you?"

But between Commander Irvin's constricting stare and the battered Armin kneeling almost lifelessly in front of him, Eren's mind was suddenly sent into a trance of confusion and dilemma. He couldn't fully grasp what was happening that time. All the questions suddenly shot up from his head. He didn't know just what reason could have pulled Armin into the scene. He couldn't see just what triggered Commander Irvin to ask him those tough questions, that it was as if the commander was weighing him based on his answers. His pupils darting back and forth between Commander Irvin and Armin, Eren was finally pushed to his limits and asked,

"I don't understand what Armin has to do with this, Commander Irvin!" He said in a tone similar to that of giving a salute. Commander Irvin was unfazed, but Armin was noticeably taken aback with the response. It was as if they were back in Trost, when the units of the Stationary Guards led by Captain Felman had blockaded them from proceeding to safety. "_Please_, sir, tell me what is going on here." He said. Eren then felt a sharp twinge that invaded his head, pain suddenly causing him to wobble on his feet.

"We have confirmed _something_ about Armin Arlelt, your friend." Commander Irvin said after he shared a brief eye contact with Rivaille. "I am not the one to judge, but Armin has a point. There are people who are willing to throw who they really are, and perhaps I can say that for myself as well. Maybe we can call ourselves _monsters_, and I am not going to deny that. Commander Pixis has once said that the death of many is both a leader's responsibility and sin. It may be more of the latter, but as long as only one person holds this sin, then there is nothing to worry about." He clenched his teeth, but it was so subtle that even Rivaille hadn't noticed it. "Everyone has called you a monster because you can turn into a titan. But how will you feel if I tell you that the _real _monster is not you, and not even me?" He stated and began to walk once more, now choosing to stand just right behind Armin. "That the _real_ monster is someone as kind as your own good friend?" He asked.

And how could that even be? It was the question that quickly sprouted in his head. _He isn't referring to Armin, is he?_ He even asked even though the insinuation was apparent. Armin was his friend. He had been there when life was rough against Eren. He had walked the same path of suffering and crossed the bridge of pain with Eren. Armin was one of two people who had reached deep into his heart, and was one of the only people that Eren was willing to waste his life for. Armin was that loyal friend who'd stay with him despite everything, who'd remain by his side even if the world separated them. Eren had given him his full trust and he knew that Armin had placed that same amount of trust back at him. If there was someone else who knew just who Eren was, then it was Armin. And it was that same Armin that fueled Eren's dream of breaking free from the walls that strangled their freedom. It was the dream that they had made when they were kids. And just how did those things made Armin the real monster? Eren only thought in question. There had to be a mistake. Armin was a good person and friend and—

"Do you know what an _atmer_ is?" Commander Irvin immediately cut off Eren's train of thought. Eren only looked at Irvin disbelievingly, after hearing that strangely familiar word from the mouth of some other individual.

"No, sir." Eren answered. Though he had that instinct telling him that he knew what an _atmer _was, he still answered otherwise. He wasn't exactly sure what it meant since he only seemed to have a gut feeling about it. And if the commander himself had the information about it, then perhaps it would help clear the question of Armin's involvement.

"It was informed by a _trusted _source–" Commander Irvin looked briefly at Rivaille at that "–that an _atmer _is someone who can speak to the titans _directly_." He explained, which made Eren look at him disbelievingly.

"But that's impossible!" Eren blurted out. "We were taught that it hadn't been successful during the past." He was gesturing his hands as he explained, looking back and forth to Rivaille and Irvin. "Even Lieutenant Hanji told me that the trials to establish communications with the titans always ended up in failure."

"Except for _one_," Rivaille answered him. "There is a certain record that is being kept by the Scouting Legion. And I think that your friend was _curious _enough to have read it _accidentally_." He said. Even Eren heard the little stresses the corporal gave to some particular words. "It is a notebook that once belonged to Ilse Langer. She detailed that she had spoken to one titan before she was killed." Rivaille explained it to Eren. "By that little information alone, we have made the assumption that some titans have the ability to communicate, even to humankind." He stated and all he received from Eren was an incredulous stare.

"But I still don't get how Armin got involved in this, corporal," Eren immediately answered, still going for that question in his mind. All the information that was being fed to him didn't fully settle with his belief, and the sight of Armin kneeling miserably inside the room made Eren really uncomfortable. But, for some reason, Lance Corporal Rivaille was preventing him from approaching his friend – and that was the exact reason he wanted to discover soon. He looked at Armin and his friend had done the same. "Armin," he called out. "What's going on here?" He asked him.

Armin opened his mouth but only worded silent words. He looked down. "I don't know," he answered, making Eren feel relieved and more anxious at the same time. If Armin had no idea of what was happening, then it meant that he was only being held in suspicion, that he hadn't really done anything wrong which could be proven. But the question still loomed. Even if it was only a thought of doubt, then _what _made Commander Irvin and Lance Corporal Rivaille suspect Armin? "I was only brought here yesterday. Until now, Commander Irvin only asks me one question." He tried to look up and see the expression that the commander wore but the latter was too far behind for him to extend his neck. "He's asking me if I am that which he calls. He's asking me if I am an _atmer_." He finally said.

"Commander!" Eren's eyes were quickly sent to Irvin Smith. He had no time to doubt his friend; he knew Armin as he knew himself. And so he directed the sudden ire that budded within him to the person who held the suspicion against Armin. "This isn't right!" He explained. "I know Armin since we were kids. If he can really speak with the titans, then I'd know of it sooner that you guys suspect him!" He explained his side. Even if it was biased, Eren could not care anymore. If it was the position of the one of the people that he cared for that was in question, then he'd throw himself into the fray just to protect. "Armin can't speak with the titans! Please, you must believe me. If this is someone else's ploy just to put Armin into blame, then please send the person who raised this issue. I'm going to talk to him myself and prove—"

"You are a _titan_, Eren." Commander Irvin's voice was clear-cut and sharp, which immediately silenced Eren. "You are someone who can transform into a titan, a fact that you can't deny." He added. "During the trial at Trost, you discovered that you attacked you friend, Mikasa Ackerman, after transforming into a titan. You lost control back then, which made you nearly killed those around you." He gave the short background of the story. "But it hadn't been made clear of just how you were able to regain control of yourself." He looked straightly at Eren. "It was because of Armin, correct?"

Eren's memories surged within him, accompanied by that same pain that attacked his head seconds ago. He remembered seeing Armin in that trance, asking him get out. But he was with his family then. He felt contented that he didn't want to get out. But it was still Armin who had managed to pull him out, who reminded him that dream of getting out of the walls, to freedom and to the world not seen before. And just when he was rescued by Armin from that false illusion of comfort, he realized what his mission was that time. "But it was—"

"He spoke to you in a _language_ that nobody else knew and directed you to the task at hand that time," Commander Irvin did not even let Eren finish his words. "He calmed you down that time. As soon as he finished talking to you, it was the only time that you regained your sense of awareness and resumed on your duty to Trost one month ago." He explained. "It seems _convenient_ that neither of you have pointed it out." Commander Irvin meanderingly indicted.

"But he didn't!" Eren answered. He could swear that Armin had spoken to him in their common language. That's why Eren understood him in the first place, right? But whoever told that information to Commander Irvin was clearly delusional. That person might be trying to defile Armin's image for him to be harmed. "I did hear him speaking to me, but he told the words in the same language as ours!" He shared to Commander Irvin.

"Before the female-type titan attacked us in the forest of giant trees, it seemed that she was stalled by the right flank for a while." Commander Irvin only ignored Eren's words. "It was then reported to me that the female-type had actually ran over to the lines of the new recruits, of your own 104th Squad." He added. "Did you know what actually halted the female-type's advance?" He asked as rhetoric, since he soon spoke afterwards. "It was not the maneuver gears and the swords and the scouts. It was _someone_ else who actually told the titan to _stop_." Commander dropped a lone hand atop Armin's shoulder. "And that is no other than your friend, Eren." He said. "I have witnesses, if you want. I even wanted for them to tell it to you themselves."

By that time, both Eren and Armin were silent. Eren was surprised after he heard all of it, facts that he couldn't truly accept. Armin, on the other hand, had only a blank expression. Perhaps he had been told of the same news beforehand. In a way, the look on his face told Eren that Armin himself was doubtful of all the accusations thrown against him. They could only feel their heart swell with heaviness and questions. They didn't know what was real anymore. Just when everyone had believed that the titans were their only enemies, it then appeared that the problem had already inched deeper into the walls – into the very heart of humankind.

"What will be your answer then, Armin?" At Commander Irvin's expectations, there would be few words to be spoken right at that moment. It was well within his imagination that the interrogation would end up short, after he exposed the truth to the two of them. After all, the commander of the Scouting Legion valued efficiency and effectiveness over anything else. From the time that they had started to suspect Armin, everything else had been splintered off from their emotions, from the very fabric of what made them human. He was a compassionate figure, but, sometimes, even compassion would flee from him to give way to a fiercer Irvin. "You haven't _denied_ anything that had been said yet, though I must point out that you haven't actually _admitted_ anything either."

But an answer never came. Armin suddenly darted from his spot, rushing out after he shook the commander's hand off his shoulder. He sprinted towards Eren's direction, aiming his full speed against him. He saw that Lance Corporal Rivaille had made a move, though Armin only ignored him. He easily sidestepped the corporal's seemingly feeble effort to stop him. Armin swung his arms open and grabbed Eren in a tight embrace, then letting his momentum take full action. Both he and Eren slammed against the window, easily destroying the wooden frame and sending shards of glass outside.

"I'm sorry, Eren," Armin only muttered as he caught a single shard while in the air. After some seconds, a blinding flash of light covered the vicinity around the Scouting Legion's headquarters, followed by a single tremor that shook the ground once. Irvin and Rivaille approached the hole made when Armin took Eren away and looked outside.

"The kid knows that I'm _injured_ and took that opportunity to escape." Rivaille said. Though it was not obvious in his tone, he seemed to have meant that he was apologetic for the mistake. He glanced sideways and looked at Irvin.

"And so this is Armin's answer then," Irvin just spoke after witnessing what had transpired. "I've long acknowledged his skill as the 104th Squad's best tactician." He said as he turned away from the now-destroyed window and walked to the room's doorway. "And I did _expect_ him to do something like this. Let's now wait for Armin's next move, then."

**. . . . . . . . .**

Jean Kirschtein felt apprehensive at that point. As soon as he had relayed the news concerning Armin, the top three officers of the Scouting Legion seemed to have a change of air around them. And soon after he had completed his part, he realized that what he'd done could never be taken back. He only realized late that the vital information concerning Armin would easily put him in a situation far more problematic and dangerous than Eren had been through. And then what it probably meant struck him, for then Jean only discovered too late what he'd actually accomplished.

When he accepted the task given to him by Commander Irvin himself, did he even realized that Armin's safety would be compromised in the long run? No. By that time, he was fueled by his hidden rage against Armin. During those moments, he felt that by accepting the duty of _distrusting _Armin, he'd be able to channel his anger against him. He hated Armin because he was Marco's _indirect_ murderer. He thought that by helping the Scouting Legion look doubtfully at Armin he'd be able to avenge Marco's death. But to what end had this thought brought him? Because of his anger and grief and sadness, all what he did was to put Armin into a position wherein his life could be ended if he spoke wrongly. He acted as if he wanted to put Armin in a situation befitting to that of a murderer. But hadn't he just done what he thought Armin did to Marco? Jean's hands were cold. Since they were young, they were taught that the titans were humanity's enemies. But as they grew older, Jean finally discovered that the greatest fault of humankind lied at the very fabric of their humanity.

And what was worse was that he was bound to repeat the endless misery that everyone had suffered before. Marco said he was a leader, and that a leader understood the feelings of the weak. And then came the implied thought. A leader wasn't the one who would casually point an accusing finger to those people under him. It was carelessness and bias and hypocrisy. For someone who wanted to understand those around him, it would be irony to be same person who'd cast the verdict so easily.

It felt worse when he lost his comrades from the titans. But what sort of human would be able to stomach losing a friend because of some suspicion? Wouldn't that make Jean a similar _monster _like that of the titans? The fault of humanity rested within him, and that same mistake was causing the demise of those around him. If he was the leader Marco told before, then why was he the reason for everyone else's sadness and despair? He only looked at his hands at that time, questions still swirling inside his head. Who was his real enemy? Didn't he choose to be a scout to spell that difference?

But he was reeled out from his musing when a loud shattering sound filled the air. His eyes were quickly sent to source of the noise. Jean was only filled with horror and fear when he saw that it was Armin clasping tightly at Eren as they fell from the second floor of the headquarters. But he immediately took his vision off from the two to look at the expressions of the other scouts around him. He was frightened when most of them had prepared their maneuver gears and swords after seeing the sight. _No_, Jean said in thought. _It can't be possi_—

The blinding light shone upon them, reducing their sights for a brief amount of time. After the accompanying tremor had died down, they could only marvel at the titan-transformed Eren towering against the headquarters, on his shoulder was Armin himself. Jean was hidden alongside the others within the thick tree leaves, but he remarked Eren in all the dismay and dread he could muster. It was something that he never wanted to happen, something that Commander Irvin himself had wished not to ensue. But as the leader of the Scouting Legion, Commander Irvin had to take every possible chances as if they would happen eventually.

And then the worst possible turn _happened_.

If there was the right moment to act, Jean knew it was now. And there was no turning back. But there were no other choices either. If Jean had resolved not to lose anyone around him anymore, then he must pay it with his actions. He didn't wait for any orders when he shot his maneuver gear away, anchoring it on Titan Eren's form – one landing on his chest, one on the shoulder. He ignored the angry protest of his current squad's leader and sent himself to air. After landing shortly beside Armin, everyone from the Scouting Legion had finally revealed themselves, all of them ready for action. At the same time, Commander Irvin, Lance Corporal Rivaille and Lieutenant Hanji landed upon the roof of the headquarters.

"You took the risk of escaping because you _know_ that I'm still going to trap you once you get away," Commander Irvin spoke loud. "And by utilizing the open space, you had Eren transformed into a titan so that the scouts guarding on the outside will have a difficult time in capturing you." He explained. "I applaud your quick thinking, but please do not make the mistake of pursuing your plan."

"Please, Commander Irvin!" Armin answered. "This is a mistake! I don't know anything about what you're accusing me of!" He said. "And I'm not planning to escape. I'm right here – right now – to prove you that I'm telling nothing but the truth!" He told him. Armin momentarily viewed the surroundings and noted that the scouts from the legion were prepared to attack anytime – even without the commander's orders. Escaping from the room was already a crime; using Eren's titan form would have meant that they were _challenging_ the Scouting Legion itself.

"Armin!" Jean called from his side. "You need to get away from Eren, now!" He ordered, voice showing his apprehension and worry. "I swear I'm going to help and vouch for you in any way possible, so please trust me on this one! You just need to get away from Eren right now – _please_!" The last part of statement was said in an obvious plead, as if calling out for the _reasonable _Armin. The blond only looked at him confusedly at first. Then it slowly dawned to him.

"Jean… you…?"

"I'm _sorry_," Jean responded. And it was true. He was really frightened of the possibility that he might lose someone from the 104th Squad. "So please let me help you right now. I don't know whether you'll forgive me for this blunder, but I don't want to see a friend of mine vanish from me again!" He just said, stepping forward as he approached Armin. "Believe me; Commander Irvin would want you to get away from Eren right now. It's the most logical thing to do." Jean only watched as Armin's head lolled down. But his general form signaled that he was acceding to his request.

Jean draped his hands over Armin's back and tucked it under his arm, in preparation of carrying him away from Eren. But even before he could fire the maneuver gear, he felt Armin moved beside him; the blond twisted his hand, which made him let go of the gear's trigger mechanism. Armin whirled and took the trigger and at the same time loaded it with a blade from Jean's canister. Within that short moment, Armin was armed with the same weapon they used to kill the titans.

"Armin!" Jean said in surprise. "Please! Don't dig your own grave even deeper! Come on, I—"

"You don't understand!" Armin cut him off, voice clearly angry. He pointed the blade against Jean. "I've always trusted you, Jean! But if you're still going to stop me, then I won't ever think that you'd be able to understand me anymore!" He finally said. Armin then sent his eyes to Commander Irvin.

Without any words, Armin Arlelt rotated the blade and aimed its sharp point against his chest. Jean's eyes were wide as he tried to rush towards the blond in order to stop him. Armin hefted the blade up slightly, before he plunged it against his _chest_ and—

* * *

- **Seventh Tale ****to be continued **-


End file.
